Should state schools be allowed to ban skirts and impose a trousers-only uniform?
Several academy trusts including Co-op Academies and Northern Education Trust have introduced trousers-only uniform policies in state secondary schools from September 2025 or 2026. Schools cite reduced time spent policing skirt lengths, practicality for movement, lower costs for families, and greater equality and inclusivity. Parents have protested, with some girls turned away from lessons on the first days of term for wearing skirts, leading to tears and claims the change is ridiculous or erases traditional feminine clothing options. DfE guidance allows schools to set their own uniform rules provided they avoid unlawful discrimination and excessive costs.
9 Opinions
For those voting Yes: should schools be able to ban kilts? Or hair covers? Or turbans? Or full face masks? Far better to have consistency and practicality: a uniform that reflects biological differences. It brings equality for all. It also prepares for adult life, by ensuring sensible clothes for the circumstances: gym clothes for PE, lab coats for science, and smart business dress for the office (classroom lessons).
Making the females wear trousers is not fair, especially in hot weather. Males should be permitted to wear tailored shorts in hot weather. If the skirt issue is because of certain people complaining the I'd rather remove that element from schools.
Unfortunately, uniform is part of school life. If any school makes the dress code too onerous there are two remedies: change the school governors or find a different school. Go woke, go broke.
Skirts are far more impractical than trousers and this rule will reduce silly arguments over length. What kind of person in the 21st century becomes 'distressed' at the idea of wearing trousers???
Barring girls from lessons on the first day of term because they turned up in a smart skirt is absolute madness. Schools exist to educate, not act as authoritarian wardrobe police.
Girls are not a problem to be designed out. A trousers-only rule treats a skirt as suspect and a sexed uniform as bias. Parents and girls should keep the choice. Removing skirts is a cultural edit sold as practicality.