UK primary school asks male and female students to wear skirts in solidarity with inclusivity & equality

A Scottish primary school, Castleview Primary, has asked that both male and female students wear skirts for the day. The move is intended to show solidarity with a male student in Spain who was expelled after he wore a girl’s uniform.

“We want our school to be inclusive and promote equality,” read an email from Castleview Primary in Edinburgh to parents. Boys as young as 3-years-old were included in the request to participate.

The school said that students in the equivalent of sixth grade came up with the initiative after becoming aware of the Spanish campaign, as November 4 is now “wear a skirt to school day” in the country. The school offered to provide skirts for students if they needed one, and teachers were encouraged to participate as well. 

Instructors also wrote to parents: “We’re keen to spread the message that clothes don’t have a gender and that we should all be free to express ourselves as we choose.” The email echoed the Spanish initiative “La ropa no tiene género,” which means “Clothes have no gender.”

An Edinburgh Council spokesperson commented, “As Scotland’s capital city we are fully committed to promoting equality and diversity, and are keen to increase respect, tolerance and understanding especially in our schools.”

While some parents praised the idea, others took to the internet to complain. “My son is five and just got this from the school! Let kids be kids,” tweeted one mom named Megan.

Another named Nicola replied: “If a boy wants to wear a skirt to school, he should be allowed, but why put pressure on people to ask their son to wear a skirt or be seen as some sort of bigot?” Chris McGovern, from the Campaign for Real Education, said the adults were “foisting their own anxieties on to children,” who should be more focused on learning to treat others as they would want to be treated.

ARTICLE: ELIZABETH HERTZBERG

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: THE GUARDIAN

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