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Eyemouth High School in the Scottish Borders has announced new school uniform from August 2019:

For all pupils from S1 to S6, school dress code is:

Smart black trousers or skirt (not tracksuit material, not faded or ripped, not shorts or leggings unless worn with skirt)

No mention of boys or girls, no mention of transgender or indeed any gender. The motivation is stated as ensuring the students look smart and reflect well on the school community.

Full article here: https://www.eyemouthhigh.org.uk/page/?t ... rm&pid=388

(Sorry for the clumsy post. Working on iPhone screen on a train)

For practical purposes, the boys won't be wearing the skirt.

These uniform policies are becoming quite common, indeed I am vice-chair of a local primary school governing board who now have a gender neutral uniform.

The school that I attended many years ago in the UK does have a single reference to sex on their uniform guide -

Black trousers (Male type: Banner Flat Front, Female type: Trutex) or Academy tartan kilt skirt

So, either sex can wear trousers but they are different types / styles. Fortunately they do not specify male / female versions of the kilt skirt

FranTastic444 wrote:So, either sex can wear trousers but they are different types / styles. Fortunately they do not specify male / female versions of the kilt skirt

I'd posit that nobody ever considered the notion that a boy would ever willingly wear a skirt of any kind. That is the problem with these lopsided gender-neutral" dress codes.

crfriend wrote: I'd posit that nobody ever considered the notion that a boy would ever willingly wear a skirt of any kind. That is the problem with these lopsided gender-neutral" dress codes.

That is probably true. Let's hope that they are in for a surprise.

greenboots wrote:Eyemouth High School in the Scottish Borders has announced new school uniform from August 2019:

For all pupils from S1 to S6, school dress code is:

Smart black trousers or skirt (not tracksuit material, not faded or ripped, not shorts or leggings unless worn with skirt)

No mention of boys or girls, no mention of transgender or indeed any gender. The motivation is stated as ensuring the students look smart and reflect well on the school community.

Full article here: https://www.eyemouthhigh.org.uk/page/?t ... rm&pid=388

(Sorry for the clumsy post. Working on iPhone screen on a train)

This is an excellent development. The complete absence of any gendering is truly a fresh of breath air.

Schools may have a gender neutral uniform policy (in theory - it's really just an excuse to give girls a choice that boys don't have), but check out the suppliers. They invariably distinguish between boys' and girls' uniforms. Try and find skirts under the boys heading; good luck with that.

It's a just a pretext of equality.

Stu wrote:Schools may have a gender neutral uniform policy (in theory - it's really just an excuse to give girls a choice that boys don't have), but check out the suppliers. They invariably distinguish between boys' and girls' uniforms. Try and find skirts under the boys heading; good luck with that.

It's a just a pretext of equality.

Pretexts aren't entirely meaningless. They give us the right to call the bluff of those making them.

Suppliers do what makes sense economically. I can live with that. I don't expect my local women's plus-size shop to de-gender their catalogues and displays, only to treat me equally as a customer, which they do.

Daryl wrote: I don't expect my local women's plus-size shop to de-gender their catalogues and displays, only to treat me equally as a customer, which they do.

I think there is a qualitative difference. You are choosing to wear garments designed for women as a lifestyle choice. Children are mandated to wear uniform for school and the schools are implying that all uniforms are for both sexes. If boys are to be expressly allowed to wear skirts, then suppliers should respond either by making skirts for boys or (more realistically) marketing those which they do supply as "unisex" and removing the specific term "girls'".

Stu wrote:

Daryl wrote: I don't expect my local women's plus-size shop to de-gender their catalogues and displays, only to treat me equally as a customer, which they do.

I think there is a qualitative difference. You are choosing to wear garments designed for women as a lifestyle choice. Children are mandated to wear uniform for school and the schools are implying that all uniforms are for both sexes. If boys are to be expressly allowed to wear skirts, then suppliers should respond either by making skirts for boys or (more realistically) marketing those which they do supply as "unisex" and removing the specific term "girls'".

And as for the SIZING that is going to have to be with universal numbers (inches or centimeters) none of this children's size 20 = who knows what that is ?
Sizing will have to be based on where the skirt is worn on the waist and the proportionate hem length (not necessarily one size fits all) !
Skirts if they do not have adequate room for PE and/or playground play are not going to pass muster. An "A" line skaters skirt would be the best for the
PE application - you certainly would not expect a pencil like skirt for example. I won't go into the taboo underwear issue but sufficient hem length will be required.

crfriend wrote: I'd posit that nobody ever considered the notion that a boy would ever willingly wear a skirt of any kind. That is the problem with these lopsided gender-neutral" dress codes.

What ever the pretext, the real mission of a school is to get the boys to conform to a rigid gender role.

Thank you for your comments. I acknowledge that the absence of gender comments will likely not herald a rush of males wishing to wear skirts to school. However, I see it as a positive step that males in skirts is not automatically linked to transgender.

I know the headmaster (though he does not know of my personal interest) so I suppose I could ask a provocative question

greenboots wrote:I know the headmaster (though he does not know of my personal interest) so I suppose I could ask a provocative question

It might well be interesting to see how he'd respond if a boy did show up one cay in a skirt and how the lad would likely be treated for having the audacity to push boundaries.

Would it be considered gender neutral uniforms if everyone was required to wear the same thing . That way things are uniform . lets say the rule was that on odd numbered days everyone will wear skirts and on even numbered days everyone will wear pants