GETTING SKIRTY
Parents vow to BOYCOTT school after it made £45 bespoke skirts mandatory to stop girls ‘showing their legs’
The mayor has labelled the decision a 'disgrace'
STRUGGLING parents are furious over a headteacher’s decision to introduce £45 bespoke tartan skirts for girls to stop them “showing their legs”.
Some parents are now saying they will boycott the uniform and are threatening to send their girls to school in skirts from a supermarket.
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The decision by Priestlands School, in Lymington, Hants, to replace its plain dark coloured skirts has been branded a “disgrace” by the town’s mayor.
Outraged parents called the introduction of a “Priestlands Tartan” kilt as “tone deaf”, “outrageous” and completely “out of touch.”
One mum said: “It’s disgusting when families are struggling to put food on the table.”
Many parents claim that the tartan uniform is being brought in to stop girls shortening their own.
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In some instances pupils have hitched up their uniform to create mini skirts.
But one said: “The school should be concentrating on their education, not how much leg they show.”
Parents were told about the new skirt, which costs between £36.99 and £44.99 depending on size in a newsletter.
It said it would be available from uniform company PGM - which goes against government guidelines which state "Single supplier contracts should be avoided."
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Local mayor Jack Davies has emailed the school in protest saying: “It is a disgrace that Priestlands want to force parents with daughters to buy a specific tartan skirt when so many local families are struggling with ever-increasing bills.
“Schools should not be making uniforms more expensive for parents during a cost-of-living crisis. I have urged the school to reverse this decision.”
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In his email to head teacher Peter Main, he wrote: “I won’t be alone in being shocked by the cost of this new skirt.
“Even with the discount, that price is simply too much for many local families to bear.”
He added that 200 children at Priestlands are eligible for free school meals.
The school has acknowledged there was a “cost implication for parents” adding that: “Governors wish to support parents with this" so for Year 11 students there would be a 50 per cent discount on the first purchase of a skirt, and a 20 per cent one for other years.
But parents pointed out that as youngsters grow so fast it will end up costing them a fortune to keep their kids in the right uniform.
Others called for a boycott with one mum saying: “If we send our girls in with plain skirts from Tesco, or Asda is the school going to send them all home?”
The school has said that girls can wear plain trousers in place of the skirt.
Responding to the furore head teacher Peter Main said: “In the autumn term Priestlands consulted parents, students and staff on the uniform provision, and in the feedback there were a significant number of comments about the need for a change to the school skirt and how it is worn by students.
“We have duly responded to this with a solution that addresses this feedback.
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“As with any change it is hard to please everyone but there have been many positive comments as well as some who are disappointed with the change.”
Main added: “Priestlands always offers support for families struggling financially.”
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