School skirts ‘stopping girls getting ample exercise’

Uniforms serve as a barrier to female pupils having enough physical activity, Cambridge study suggests

SCHOOL skirts could be stopping girls from having enough exercise, a University of Cambridge study has suggested.

Analysis of more than a million students across the world found that physical activity levels are lower in countries where uniforms are more commonplace. Primary school girls are the worst affected, which researchers linked to uniform items less well suited to exercise, such as skirts and dresses.

The Cambridge study set out to establish what proportion of children meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day.

The research team studied nearly 1.1million children aged between five and 17 in 135 countries and found that, in the countries where the majority of schools required students to wear uniform, the levels of exercise were lower.

In countries where uniform-wearing was the norm, 16 per cent of students met WHO recommendations. However, in countries where home clothes were the norm, 19.5 per cent of students met exercise targets. The study, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, also found that boys were 1.5 times more likely to reach recommended activity levels than girls.

The gap was particularly wide among primary school children who wear uniforms but the same result was not found in secondary school-aged students.

Lead author Dr Mairead Ryan, a researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Education, said: “There is already evidence that girls feel less comfortable participating in active play if they are wearing certain types of clothing, such as skirts or dresses.

“This can be more marked among primary school children as they get more incidental exercise throughout the school day; for example, by running, climbing, and various other forms of active play at break and lunch.”

Dr Esther van Sluijs, an investigator at Cambridge’s MRC Epidemiology Unit, said: “Girls might feel less confident about doing things like cartwheels and tumbles in the playground, or riding a bike on a windy day, if they are wearing a skirt or dress. Social norms and expectations tend to influence what they feel they can do in these clothes.”

Previous research has raised concerns about uniforms and school sports kits, particularly for girls. A 2021 study in England found that the design of girls’ PE kits deterred students from participation.

The team behind the Cambridge study said there should be further investigations, as their findings fall short of proving causation.

Dr Ryan said: “We are not trying to suggest a blanket ban on uniforms, but to present new evidence to support decision-making.”

Discussing how to increase children’s exercise outside of PE lessons, she said: “Activities like walking or cycling to school, break-time games, and afterschool outdoor play can all help young people incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. That’s why we are interested in the extent to which various elements of young people’s environments, including what they wear, encourage such behaviours.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Schools have uniform policies to provide a sense of identity and equality for pupils. These policies are kept under review and this study is a reminder of the need to consider suitability and comfort alongside other factors such as cost to parents.

“Uniforms are designed to enhance school pride and unity… it is important they do not act as a barrier to physical activity or any other aspect of education.”

‘Girls might feel less confident about doing cartwheels and tumbles in the playground’