Uniform swap punished

GROVEDALE College year 12 students were ordered to change their clothes for breaching the school’s uniform policy after male students donned school dresses during end-of-year celebrations.

A distressed student claimed a large number of year 12 boys were reprimanded and called “sexist” for wearing school dresses as part of an end-of-year dress-up day on Monday.

The student, who declined to be named, said male and fewith male students had participated in a “uniform swap” as a part of a scaled-back muck-up week.

She said traditional celebrations had been cancelled, due to the coronavirus pandemic, graduation events replaced with a dress-up day and a small end of year picnic held on Tuesday.

She said the year 12 cohort decided for the dress-up day girls would wear the male uniform and boys would wear the girls’ uniform.

“In our school uniform policy the girls can wear the boys’ uniform, but boys can’t wear the girls’,” she said.

The student said when male students arrived in dresses they were told to change their clothes.

“The guys (who wore dresses) were told that if they didn’t get changed then they would be sent home, whereas nothing was mentioned about the girls,” she said.

“They pulled all the guys into the senior school and said they were being sexist by doing this, whereas this was not their intent at all.”

The student said the school’s response led to a “very tense day” for final year students.

“All of us girls watched as a massive group of boys was led into senior school to be yelled at,” she said.

“People went from taking photos together and savouring these moments to being scared that those guys would be banned from attending celebration day, or even graduation day, as both of those things have been threatened in the past week if people were to act up.”

Grovedale College principal Janet Matthews said students were spoken to over a uniform matter.

“On Monday, October 18, several boys breached the school’s uniform policy and were asked to change,” Ms Matthews said. “No students were sent home at any time during the day.”

Ms Matthews did not reveal details of the breach.

She said the school had worked with students to plan a Covid safe end-of-year celebration day for Tuesday.

Across Victorian state schools uniform dress codes are determined at a school council level, in accordance with school and department policies.

Last week Clonard College announced year 12 students would not be able to access teachers in a face-to-face setting in the lead-up to exams following a positive case of Covid-19 at the school.

THE GUYS (WHO WORE DRESSES) WERE TOLD THAT IF THEY DIDN’T GET CHANGED THEN THEY WOULD BE SENT HOME, WHEREAS NOTHING WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE GIRLS. GROVEDALE SECONDARY STUDENT