Down With Skirts!

[Ptraci]

There were no uniforms at my school, but short trousers (even knee long ones) were banned because some old fool found them unappropriate. Girls could wear skirts as short as they wanted...

[OneThinkingGal and ._.]

Yuf, I agree with your points but that's not a very good letter to give her. You are making it very hard for her to agree with you. Basically she'll have to give in and say something like 'you're right, we're all idiots' and I doubt she'd say that.

You could word it so that its a bit more like a request and less like a protest march plaque. Place your problems before her and ask her what suggestions she has for solving them. Suggest trousers as an option that might work. That would work better IMO.

Backing her into a corner might work too....I guess, just leaves a bad taste and I don't think she's the right person to be pissing off.

[TheYak]

Your request sounds perfectly reasonable.   I went to a private (Chrisitan) school until High School and they had a skirt/dress requirement for females for a short while.  Many girls passed petitions around to the males.  The petition stated that if the girls were not allowed to wear pants then the males would join them by wearing dresses or skirts.  The petition worked (fortunately before we had to follow through with it) and uniforms/dress codes became equal (except for the issue of ear-piercing).  The reason so many males signed the petition, I assume, was because it was the 80's and ultra-tight jeans were "in."  

I've debated and wondered about the issue of school uniforms and have never quite made up my mind.  I find it interesting that several school-age AGSers are actually in favor of them (with the obvious exception of the antiquated skirt-rule).  Interesting.

[Miez]

Gods, I'm so glad I'm Dutch - the whole school uniform thing has been abandoned here ever since WWII (I think). And it was outmoded even then.
Never understood the reasoning behind the whole "this education is better because all those receiving it wear the same clothes" anyway.

[remixor]

I have never seen an actual person (ie, not in a photograph) wearing a school uniform, so I have no personal connection to tihs issue whatsoever.  That said, Yufster, I think your wishes are perfectly reasonable and legitimate, but I do think Annie may have a point in that you might want to consider re-wording your letter just to try to make things a bit smoother.

[Vel]

We don't have to wear uniforms here anymore^_^ They cancelled them 12 years ago or so.

[Pesty]

I like school uniforms (then again, I never had to wear them, but I always liked the idea) and I like skirts, but forcing girls to wear skirts instead of giving them an option of wearing pants, at least in winter, is zany insaney. There are schools that do give girls both. It only makes sense.

The excuses your principal gave you are nonsense. I, for example, look just faboo in trousers. You can use me as an example. Cite me as being "the coolest person ever".

And if the coolest person ever advocates girls wearing pants while also looking good in pants, then how can anyone deny that?

[Timosity]

I think it's rediculous not to have the option to wear pants, When I was at school the girls had the option, but most wore skirts anyway.

I think skirts were invented by men on the chance they might see up them.

Personally, I like the look of girls in skirts, but there is no reason you should be forced to wear them.

In Aust. public schools, the uniform rules are a bit more relaxed, but in private schools it's a whole different story. I know my cousin went to a school where they had to wear a certain colour underwear, I have no idea how they could make sure every girl did (it was an all girls school) That just seems a bit too far.

And most boys private schools have stupid hats, and when in public if they cross a pedestrian crossing, they have to dip their hat at the cars that stop for them, they can get in trouble if they get complaints.

I can't believe in this day and age, old traditions are still being held.

I must say though, with uniforms, it's handy to just chuck it on and go to school not worrying that you're not wearing the latest fashion.

Then what happens is for girls to get attention, they have a battle with who can wear the shortest skirt, seeing as they all look alike.

The Scottish have the right idea, I'm sure skirts are more logical for guys to wear than girls, get that damn pants crotch out of the way. but for now I'll just go with the Mumu.

[Meowster]

You could word it so that its a bit more like a request and less like a protest march plaque. Place your problems before her and ask her what suggestions she has for solving them. Suggest trousers as an option that might work. That would work better IMO.

I guess I should have explained this letter a bit better. I HAVE gone to her before. In 2nd year, I asked her why we weren't allowed wear trousers. In 3rd year, I got a lot more actively involved and wrote a pleasant letter detailing the advantages of trousers and disadvantages of skirts. Her main argument then was, "Well the school uniform has never been changed before (lie) and we're not going to change it now." Well, thing is, the uniform IS being changed, right now, starting september. And it's being changed in favour of all of us who want trousers. No, we're not being given trousers to wear... that would be the ideal. But they're changing the shirt to a blouse, and the tie for a scarf. They're ultimately digging their own hole because they're making us into more and more traditional females and so strengthening the case against them.

Because it's considered extreme discrimination in Ireland at least, to force a female to conform to traditional female whatchamaycallitums.

So yes, I have previously asked nicely, and even protested peacefully against them, and the Principal/Significant Others simply shrug their shoulders because quite frankly, they don't care.

As for uniforms on the whole... I generally don't like uniforms because of the colours/materials BUT I prefer to have them. I think they're great. The only thing I have a problem with is the skirt.

[Haddas]

In our School, all the girls wear skirts! (Of FREE Will!!!)
The average length of the skirts are: 10-15 cm. Me likey

[m0ds]

Yufster, take a pic of you in your new uniform - then we can cast our opinions.  :

[OneThinkingGal and ._.]

Gods, I'm so glad I'm Dutch - the whole school uniform thing has been abandoned here ever since WWII (I think). And it was outmoded even then.
Never understood the reasoning behind the whole "this education is better because all those receiving it wear the same clothes" anyway.

Heh, maybe you come from somewhere where everyone is from a uniform economic stratum so there's no one flaunting thier clothes over others. Or maybe where teenagers are not more obsessed with how they look than actually studying. The word 'uniform' itself suggests that it's supposed to bring everyone to the same level and I know in many countries it is needed. Some schools tell you what bookcovers to buy, I think with the same logic.

Personally, I liked uniforms because I didn't have to wake up every morning and think about what to wear.

[shbaz]

Don't give that letter to your principal. Make 1000 copies of it and put them in every girls locker, all over the hallways, and you'll be sure to havea lot of other angry people with you when the principal reads it. You don't have to put your name on it, so they won't necessarily know you wrote it if there's some risk of expulsion.

[AGA]

Set fire to your principal's freshly slaughtered carcass, that'll make them change the rules!

[Raven_Gray]

No, you don't need to resort to violence. Do it the Martian Luther King way. Gather all the girls at the fron of the shcool, rip off your skirts and burn them all in a big  bonfire (and bras, for the feminists). You'll probobly gain the support of all the boys by doing that too. As to guys wearing skirts? well, I'm sure thats just dandy for you over in Ireland, but in America....hmm. I act gay enough as it is, if I wore I skirt I would probobly get beat up more than usual.

It's the sheer discomfort of skirts and impracticality that's driving me to this, not penis envy.

Oh comon! Everyone wants a penis. Don't try to deny it.

[Raggit]

Sounds like a pretty bad set up Yufster.  I say if girls wanna were trousers then they should.  

That is so descrimnative of your school.

[Meowster]

Okay, I changed my plan of attack slightly. As well as that charming letter to my principal, I'm also sending furious but completely reasonable letters to:

Noel Dempsey, Minister for Education
Dept. of Equality
Student Union of Ireland
Irish Times
RTE Radio Telefis Eireann
The Sunday Times
Carlow Nationalist
Sisters of Mercy Secret Military Headquarters in Berlin

I'll cause them so much shit they'll have to do something, and I'll let them know that as a single parent, my mother is entitled to legal aid, so money isn't an issue with this case.

After getting the respective replies from those depts, I'll stir the blood of my fellow students until they're as angry as I am. Then... War!

Anyway, I never understood why feminists burned their bras. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable without a bra? Imagine hopping down a flight of stairs with no bra. They were sort of cutting off their nose to spite their face, so to speak.

[AGA]

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa010329b.htm - according to this it's a myth.

[Scummbuddy]

Girls in skirts are only for mens fantasies... (hint hint ScUbAChic)


Fight the power.  Nothing ever gets done if no one complains and stands up for themselves.  I'd only strike if I was sure that I could get the support behind me, all the way to the final leave school until they buckle. I dont know how it is around where you live, but here we have our public and private schools, and yes, people will go to different ones depending on their preference on uniforms. My friend at her school, went all the way to outlawing backpacks from school. you could bring them, but not take them to class, so anything you needed for the day you would have to take if you couldnt get to your locker from your old class to your next class in time, which of course doesnt happen.  this law went away when all the girls started taking 'Oversized purses', then the guys followed... which didnt go well, but then it was overturned. wow, i hated hearing about the rediculous things her school went through.

why not just wear really long skirts, almost like trousers, with a long seam up the middle? or wait, are these like official skirts at an official length... dont let a man take control of your body

[Layabout]

Organise a day where the girls wear pants and the guys wear skirts. who the hell are they gunna expell then hey BITTERmAN!!!

uh... yeah.