We have been hearing a lot about school uniforms in recent times, with the marriage equality ‘no’ campaign people trying to stir up fear that one day boys might be allowed to wear dresses at school if they want, thereby destroying society as we know it.
But in new and different uniform news, and in a huge win for tomboys and girls who want to live their lives without being restricted by wearing dresses every single day, girls are set to win the right to wear shorts and trousers in Victorian state schools, if they so choose.
In a victory for parents who have been campaigning for this, Victorian Education Minister James Merlino has come out and expressed that all girls will be given the option of wearing shorts or slacks if they want. Analysis of uniform policy at 100 Victorian schools found that one in four still require girls to wear a dress or skirt.
I am currently considering ways to ensure girls are provided the opportunity at all government schools to wear shorts and pants. While the vast majority of schools already offer the option of female students wearing shorts or pants, it is something I would expect all government schools to do.
It is 2017, and we still have to wait for a politician to tell us that girls should be allowed to wear pants to school. It is quite ridiculous, when you really think about it. The whole point of this is choice. If a girl prefers to wear a dress, fine. Kids should be able to have the choice to wear whatever uniform they want. End of discussion.
There’s been a growing push for all Australian schools to ditch uniforms that discriminate against girls, because that’s what having to wear dresses and skirts all the time does. Research shows that girls do less exercising when wearing dresses, and are held back in other ways.
A group called Girls’ Uniform Agenda, which is made up of parents trying to push for the change, claims that forcing girls to wear dresses and skirts reinforces gender stereotypes. According to group founder Simone Cariss, who founded the group after her daughter was banned from wearing pants at a school in Melbourne, said the uniform situation goes beyond aesthetics.
They are concerned about flashing their underwear when they do cartwheels. We have girls who have to get under tables to plug in laptops and they are doing that with one hand on the back of their skirt. It’s a struggle that distracts from their learning. Schools need to come into the modern era and look at what they are forcing their girls to wear. We want girls to go into science, technology, engineering and maths careers – which involve breaking down those stereotypes – yet we force them to wear a dress every day.
So here is hoping this is the first hurdle to fall, and we will one day end up with uniform policies in all schools that allow all kids to wear what they are comfortable in.
