by School leaders have been criticized by parents for banning school socks because girls are rolling up their skirts.
Co-op Academy Walkden has been introducing the move since September, with girls told they will have to wear tights – no less than 40 denier – with a skirt or trousers instead.
Families with children at the school have been told it is because ‘some pupils are wearing inappropriate uniforms, including the way they wear their skirts’.
Read more: ‘We shouldn’t have to fight to get the support we need for our children’
In a letter to parents, Ian Burchett, Co-op Academies Trust director of education for Greater Manchester, said the new uniform policy is being introduced following a series of student panel meetings, surveys and one-to-one conversations.
“Many students are reporting two things,” the letter says. “Firstly, that they feel a peer obligation to fit in with their friends and, as a result, dress the same, and secondly that they feel this pressure to wear their skirts as items fashion, often far above the length of the knee, affects their mental well. – will be.”
He says: “It is our responsibility, as a family of Trust academies, to do what we can to take that pressure off our children.”
But parents have told us that staff have previously turned a blind eye to the issue of short skirts and should have given pupils a chance to address it, without immediately banning the introduction of stockings.
One mum, who already has a child at the school and another starting in September, said: “Surely they should challenge pupils with their skirt length first and look to improve things like this? Schools have ignored this issue for a long time. time, instead of going full throttle, they should take some small steps first.
“If things didn’t improve they could ban skirts and introduce a pinafore. Other high schools have a pinafore as part of the uniform instead of a skirt, no doubt for this reason. If this didn’t work, as a last resort. they could look at the personal choice of removing socks.
“It’s scary that they’re jumping in when they’ve never tried to solve the problem before. Boys are always being challenged about wearing trainers. Why haven’t girls been challenged about their roll up skirts?”
Another parent echoed her views, saying: “I don’t think it’s fair to ban socks altogether. Some of them aren’t comfortable in tights and they get too hot and they don’t want to wear trousers either.”
Parents said the school, in Walkden, Salford, had previously focused on trainers, jewelery and a lack of blazers and ties, so this announcement was a ‘big surprise’.
In his letter, Mr Burchett says “The decision is primarily how we can best support the silent majority of girls who feel uncomfortable with the appropriateness of how they feel they are expected to dress and the opinions of adults who see this problem daily.
“Some of you and your children may be upset or do not agree with these changes and I understand that some people would feel that it is a freedom taken away by others; however, our main concern is to end the pressure on girls to conform. societal norms with which they disagree.
“There are also concerns that some students wear their uniforms in ways that are inappropriate and we hope these changes will correct them.”
The letter clarifies that the uniform policy has been updated since September to specify wear
or, if you choose a skirt:
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Black pleated skirts must be worn, not rolled, with plain black tights (not socks). Tights must be opaque, not less than 40 denier
He says: “As always, our schools and academies take a sensible approach to all aspects of uniform, when the weather is very hot, at their discretion.”
The principal of Walkden Co-op Academy, Matt Hacker, told the Manchester Evening News: “We have introduced a new uniform policy where students can choose between trousers or skirts with tights. Of course, if the weather is extreme , we will look at alternative arrangements for each student.
“To reach this decision, feedback was compiled from students which showed that there were many people who felt pressured to fit in with friends by wearing skirts, often much higher than knee length, and that there was an impact by this on their confidence and well-being.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that students feel comfortable and are able to focus on their learning at school. This has never been more important than now, when our young people are under constant pressure to look and dress a certain way, through social media. “
They added: “We also know that by simplifying our approach, we keep our focus on what matters most – teaching and learning.
Although we expected that some might disagree with our changes, many parents quietly got in touch to thank the staff for implementing this decision.
“We are grateful, as always, for feedback from parents and we are grateful for the reasonable way in which they challenged, supported and contributed to our decision. Some felt that we had not gone far enough, and that we should end the a choice of skirts. However, we felt that the decision we reached was the most appropriate and proportionate.”
