Suffolk: Girls wear the trousers at Suffolk schools
SUFFOLK: One in six Suffolk schoolgirls is not allowed to wear a skirt to class – making the county the strictest when it comes to uniforms.
New figures seen by The Ipswich Star show that increasing numbers of headteachers are clamping down on ever-rising hemlines and ruling that the attire is no longer acceptable.
Suffolk led the way in stopping students turning up for class in skirts when Kesgrave High School became the first to enforce the ban in 2004.
Of the 41 schools in England which have introduced a ‘no-skirt’ policy since, six are from Suffolk – including Kesgrave, St Alban’s, Northgate and Felixstowe Academy.
When Orwell and Deben high schools merged last year, the new school implemented rules which were already in place at Deben, meaning girls were to cover their legs while on school property.
The statistics – which show that 16 per cent of schoolgirls in Suffolk have been affected by the ban – have come to light following research by website schoolskirtban.co.uk.
When details surrounding Northgate High School’s ban on skirts was revealed, headteacher David Hutton said the decision had been made in a bid to stop students coming into school “in inappropriate” attire.
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Speaking at the time, Mr Hutton said: “Unfortunately despite contacting parents, sending some girls home to change and requiring others to wear a school-owned skirt, we still had some girls coming to school in inappropriate skirts.
“I have therefore introduced a trousers-only policy. Kesgrave and St Alban’s High Schools already have such a policy, which has made a huge difference for the better.”
For more information about the statistics visit www.schoolskirtban.co.uk
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