The school that’s banned girls from wearing skirts
PARENTS are outraged after a secondary school banned girls from wearing skirts as part of new gender neutral uniform rules.
Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, is making all new pupils joining this week wear trousers.
Teachers say the rules are being imposed to stop girls dressing provocatively and to help the ‘increasing number’ of pupils who are confused about their gender.
Schools are under political pressure to cater for transgender pupils, and last year it was revealed more than 80 had adopted a uniform policy that allowed both boys and girls to wear skirts or trousers.
However, it is thought Priory School is one of the first to scrap skirts altogether.
One mother said: ‘My daughter and her friends are appalled by this. The school is creating a hostile environment for girls by treating their views with contempt. There was no consultation.’
Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan, who went to the school, said it was ‘disappointing’ to see the school ‘sucked into this gender neutrality nonsense, which is being driven by a tiny minority of people’. He added: ‘Let boys be boys and girls be girls, and stop confusing them in this ridiculous way.’
Tim Loughton, Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, who also attended Priory School, said: ‘Respecting gender sensitivities is important but it is political correctness out of control when it is at the expense of a much larger body of students, who will now lose the right to wear a traditional component of school uniform. This is a step backwards.’ Headmaster Tony Smith said the decision was made primarily in response to comments from parents and the community, including concerns skirts were being rolled up and worn in a way that promoted the ‘sexualisation of young women’. He said: ‘The reason for the change initially is about equality and decency. Our students will all now wear the same uniform. It is a much more decent uniform and it is far less likely to lead to abuse.’ He said the transgender issue was only a ‘secondary’ reason, adding: ‘ We have an increasing number of students who are at that crossroads of understanding around their gender. So this uniform removes the need for anyone to make a decision about whether they wear a so- called male or female uniform.’ But mother-of-four Lara, who did not give her surname, said her daughter Tilly is ‘proud to be a girl so being gender neutral is a big deal for her’. Tilly, 11, wrote to Mr Smith saying: ‘Girls have different bodies to boys and we should have the right to wear skirts. I think girls should have a choice.’ However some parents were more positive about the change. daughtersaid:girls’ rights‘It seemed Matthew,Paige were is takento in Yearus whose away.the 7, Butus, it when was it aboutwas explained inappropriate to dressing, and I think it was the right decision.’ Mark Cummins, 45, the father of Year 7 pupil Colombo, said: ‘I think it is a good idea. It is a way of saying everybody is equal.’ The new winter uniform was introduced for Year 7 pupils only, while older pupils can wear the clothes they already have. All future pupils will wear the new attire.
In summer, the uniform is shorts or skorts – skirts with shorts underneath. Both sexes can wear either option.
The school, which is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, has around 1,100 pupils aged 11 to 16.
Mr Smith said there was no consultation because current students were not affected, adding: ‘We’ve had a lot of positive comments from parents. ‘We are not denying anyone the right to wear a skirt ... I’m not imposing anything on what they do out of school in their free time.’
‘Political correctness out of control’