School bans skirts due to glass staircases

A SECONDARY school has banned girls from wearing skirts because of fears that glass staircases could leave them at risk of being “upskirted”.

Year 7 pupils at Stowmarket High School in Suffolk were advised to dress with “modesty in mind” when they joined the school last week.

Uniform guidelines published on the school’s website stated skirts were “not considered to be appropriate” ahead of a move into a new building next year.

The concerns were raised due to fears that the building’s glass-sided staircases and open-plan floors could leave female pupils more exposed.

New uniform rules state that all Year 7 pupils must wear trousers and a blazer, replacing the skirts and black jumpers previously worn.

The new uniform code was met with criticism by parents, who accused the school of forcing girls to wear genderneutral clothes as part of an alleged behaviour crackdown.

One parent said: “If this really just about glass-sides stairs then how come female staff are still wearing skirts? No one believes this nonsense.

“It’s obvious that what this is really about is cracking down on girls behaving differently than boys by forcing a gender-neutral dress code on them.”

Dave Lee-allan, the head teacher, defended the new policy, insisting the uniforms looked “extremely smart” and would be more “practical”.

He added: “There are a number of schools across the country that have a uniform that does not include skirts and have operated successfully.”