"Parents accuse schools of body-shaming as girls are told to wear shorts under skirts"

WhenI said not many that's exactly what I meant. Some schools, particularly faith schools, private schools and a few state primaries had uniforms. But having taught in many all over the country I think I can safely say they were the exception. There wasn',t until the 80s, the ubiquitous sweat shirt which became the start of primary uniforms. Most working parents wouldn't have purchased special clothes for school at primary age, some found it a stretch for secondary.

M0nica - I just don't think this is true:
more men are becoming itnersted in paedophilia

My DGD1, at high school had the choice to wear trousers or a skirt. She preferred trousers. On the other hand, given the same choice, DGD2 wore a skirt even for cycling to school when I'd have thought trousers more convenient. I know I had to spend seven years of my young life cycling to and from school in a skirt - not a good look on a windy day.

Shorts or trousers for everyone, simple , problem solved ! I had to play hockey in senior school - wearing big navy blue knickers and I hated it . The boys wore shorts !! They were big knickers but underwear never the less! As for today's children , shorts or trousers in school and particularly for exercise is a no brainer!!

My 9 yr old GD came after school yesterday wearing tailored black shorts. She spent the winter in black school trousers and said they had complained about being told they were expected to wear dresses in the summer term. She looked lovely and was comfortable. When we took her home she changed into the smallest pair of shorts I’ve ever seen!

I do like skorts = think they are excellent, wish they had been around years ago. Why are some childen (females mainly) wearing skirts for school at all? Surely, trousers or shorts (when it is warm) should be school attire for all.

One of my 11-year old gsons loves wearing a skort on occasions, he just likes being able to spin round and round and have this billow out around him.

Such a pity that clothing is generderised!!!

My school uniform, from the age of 7, was black and white, so our knickers were black, not navy. Just to be different!

And I wore the ubiquitous navy blue knickers which stretched up to my armpits. (Boys and girls did indoor PE in vest and pants)

I remember navy blue knickers as worn by most girls at my catholic state infant and junior school. I don't remember them being huge the way some have referred to their "school bloomers" just little girl knickers that covered everything and weren't skimpy. I can't remember whether they were a mandatory part of the school uniform, but I do remember a very early class of "Musical Movements" where we just danced around in our underwear so maybe for such purposes they were. At a later stage further into the juniors, I'm pretty sure for sporting events we were expected to wear shorts, t shirts and plimsoles. I seem to remember we had bags hanging on pegs with those items in.

At my girls only convent senior school we had a very strict school uniform, culottes, down to the knees were worn for all our sporting events and woe betide anyone who tried to deviate from any of the regulation attire.

In late 1950s, early 60s, at state primary school, I wore a general school uniform, not unlike the one my DGD wears now - gymslip/pinafore dress (with coloured sash denoting house), white shirt, gingham dress in summer. I could tie my tie before secondary school so at some stage I wore a tie?
I don't remember this being particularly odd in our area.
I agree that my area may not be representative of UK or England etc. Personally I do find it surprising that intelligent folk think that because it's their experience, that's the case across the country.

Having seen what passes for underwear these days I think shorts are a pretty good idea.

At my granddaughter’s junior school (all girls) they can wear culottes. They’re not compulsory, though. They can wear a pinafore dress if they prefer.

I didn't wear a uniform at my state primary school (1959-1966) and my younger sisters didn't either. I also wore "big knickers" - remember them well and clearly remember the first time I bought skimpier pants when I was in my teens - my mother was horrified.

I had a uniform but no undergarments were part of it.

but you are not disagreeing.
you speak of one school, the one you went to.
trisher says most schools...
yours may have been one of the few.
i don't think navy knickers were often part of uniform except maybe in private schools in the 60s. i never heard of them in state school.
they seem more redolent of the 30s to me.
but what do i know.

Trisher I hate to disagree, but we had primary school uniforms at least 30 years before that. Gymslips, navy knickers, shirts and ties -I found my primary school tie when helping my mum sort some stuff out.

I was just thinking that until the 1990s not many primary schools had uniforms, children wore what they were comfortable in and in the summer it was often shorts.

I just hate the term 'modesty' shorts - implying that young girls are being immodest if not wearing them.

Agree with that too!

Instead of trying to solve the problem of active young children wearing skirts, put them in more practical clothes. Shorts for everyone. No issue remains

Agreed!

My 10 year old granddaughter wears a pair of girl's tailored navy shorts from M&S instead of a skirt or trousers when the weather is warmer. She is very comfortable in them and they look very smart indeed as part of her school uniform.

Evidently asking girls to wear shorts is some sort of affront.

No. Asking girls to wear shorts under dresses is unnecessary, as they could just wear the shorts (over underwear) or trousers, as boys do.

SueDomin Exactly so.

Could this be more about teacher, or other school staff embarassment than about little boy comments?

SueDonim

My GD’s all wear what seem to be very similar underwear to what my own DD’s wore 30+years ago. Where are people getting these revealing knickers from?

The term and the very idea of modesty shorts* repels me. Once again, females are having to adapt themselves to accommodate the male of the species. How about educating boys and men to not regard their female counterparts as fair game for ogling and verbal abuse?

Even a senior police officer has backed modesty shorts for girls of four and upwards. What message is that sending to our girls? That society will not protect them unless they abide by rules set up for male appeasement?

*M&S do - or did - a range of ‘modest’ clothing. How judgemental a label is that, given that everything else must be immodest.

they still do the clothing styles but have dropped the description

Going back to my schooldays I don't think it's just a case of abuse from boys.

The girls at my school made my life a misery at one point because they all wore petticoats under their uniform and my mother wouldn't let me have one ( "Don't be so silly! I never wore a petticoat for school!") Heaven knows how much mileage they would have got out of my knickers being too revealing.

My GD’s all wear what seem to be very similar underwear to what my own DD’s wore 30+years ago. Where are people getting these revealing knickers from?

The term and the very idea of modesty shorts* repels me. Once again, females are having to adapt themselves to accommodate the male of the species. How about educating boys and men to not regard their female counterparts as fair game for ogling and verbal abuse?

Even a senior police officer has backed modesty shorts for girls of four and upwards. What message is that sending to our girls? That society will not protect them unless they abide by rules set up for male appeasement?

*M&S do - or did - a range of ‘modest’ clothing. How judgemental a label is that, given that everything else must be immodest.