New guidelines will require all schools in Northern Ireland to offer girls the option to wear trousers as part of their uniform.

Education Minister Paul Givan said the revised guidance will allow girls to wear trousers as part of their uniform and also for PE and games.

Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason has described the decision as a “welcome but embarrassing U-turn by the minister”.

Education Committee chairman Nick Mathison said the minister will have to explain why he “took so long to move on this issue”.

The guidelines are legally binding under the School Uniforms Act which came into operation earlier this year.

  • glasratz@feddit.orgEnglish
    2·
    8 days ago

    I suspect you’re too America focussed.

    I’m European.

    If uniforms are so bad, why are they standard in so many of the world’s poorest countries?

    I don’t claim they are generally bad. I said that the argument with “branded clothes” isn’t a very good one and school uniforms can very well be used to exclude poorer students. And I included a link to a study to back that up.

    The main reason why many poorer countries have school uniforms is exactly what you say: so that poorer kids and minorities don’t stick out. Whether this really works or helps in any way is a whole different thing.

    In South Africa, all government schools have uniforms. So there is no excluding someone because they can’t afford a uniform.

    I just needed a two second internet search to tell me that the financial burden school uniforms put on families is a discussed topic in South Africa. There’s this report for example: https://lrc.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LRC-School-Uniform-Research-Report.pdf (FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF CURRENT UNIFORM PRACTICES, pages 22 etc.) or this news report: https://capetown.today/news/the-outfit-dilemma-evaluating-school-dress-regulations-and-human-rights-in-south-africa

    Also, there is a lot of overlap betweem school uniforms i.e. lots of grey skirts / shorts / trousers, plus white shirts with the school badge sewn onto the pocket. These clothes are made in huge quantities and sold everywhere.

    And are still going to be more expensive than everyday clothes.

    Also, why would you need to buy extra clothes? You can just wear the uniform all day.

    Now you are just being silly. Kids do not want to be associated with their school all day, even less their whole youth including days off. Parents don’t want kids to ruin their school clothes, especially if they are poor. Not to mention that most uniforms are not inteded for kids to play in them, as they often include leather shoes or skirts.