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Mix of PGCE students, MA

Experiences
- Strict uniform policy at all girls' school; hated uniform because it was uncomfortable; could wear trousers but no one did because they had two layers
- Able to wear anything at 6th Form, but still limitations (e.g. strappy top not allowed)
- Uniform policy more strictly enforced among black students in a predominantly white school; was it about curvy body types (recent experience as a teacher prompted this thought)?
- Muslim student asked to remove headscarf because it was "causing a stir"
- Girls asked to remove acrylic nails there and then or go home
- Skirt lengths monitored, presumably to control sexuality; how girls 'affect' boys/men; the male gaze
- No coloured bras under white shirts
- Methods of self-expression not allowed (make-up, hair, nail polish); students not helped to develop professional skills
- At primary school, could buy uniform from supermarkets; changed at secondary school
- Experiences similar across faith and non-faith schools
- Girls not allowed to wear sports skirts without shorts underneath; some girls liked this, but others didn't
- All students had to have shirts tucked in

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Why here?
- Bringing experiences from placement schools
- Interest from Gender, Sexuality and Education module - talked about gendered uniforms
- Interested in topic
Experiences:
- Large Year 7 blazers, had to buy from expensive school shop, wore shorts under skirts, make up policed
- Strict rules on boys hair (not touching shirt), earrings, stigma on girls who choose to wear trousers, non-uniform days still very strict, class issues if uniform 'looks old'
- Boys and girls have the same uniform: loose sports wear (designed to 'prevent sexual harassment') some buy other uniforms like Japanese instead and wear outside of school, want to look good. Loose uniform as another way of control

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Experiences of school uniform:
H: Belfast - certain schools that are religiously segregated (protestant, catholic and mixed)
- Skirt had to touch knee
- Couldn't wear certain shoes
- Local Journalist wrote an article about catholic men waiting outside protestant school because protestant girls had 'attracted their attention' via short skirts
- v expensive
Boys hair not allowed to have hair past collar of shirt
- Non uniform days
J: China - All have to wear sports shirts
- Don't have to wear skirts
- Coolest clothes
- Tues-Fri own clothes (just one day a week of uniform)

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I went to an academic private girls school. Uniform was nominally brown but that meant anything from pink to khaki. The school had also abolished detentions - part of its 'liberal' ethos.

But, it made us a target for students from other schools. Got gobbed on by a boy when train we were on went through a tunnel & it was dark. Even then, I think I well understood why!

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Person 1 - All girls school in London with uniform. I loved the uniform as it removed peer pressure and class difference. I didn't have the latest fashion and labels so uniform created a equal ground on image. Strict rules about length of skirt. In 6th form we had no uniform but still required to dress smart. This made a big impact on me... when I dress smart I'm more productive. I still do this today when I work from home.

Person 2 - UK. All girls school: Skirt, no option to wear trousers. No big feelings regarding the uniform, just accepted it and went along with it. Hierarchy of prefect system - being a prefect gave you power to tell younger students off about their uniform. Tights on under tracksuit not allowed, even in winter - Detention for wearing them. Strict, unnecessary rule.

Person 3 - Shanghai. Each school had different styles uniforms, there would be a comparison between schools "you're uniform is better / uglier than mine". Private schools had uniform, public schools wore own schools. So it created a hierarchy when in public. Within the school girls had to wear skirts, boys had to wear trousers. Memory of a female friend who didn't want to wear a skirt but was forced to.  No recognition of gender as a spectrum.

Person 4 - China, less developed city than Shanghai. No uniform. Did have sports clothes required to be worn on annual sports day - impractical and uncomfortable, everyone hated it! Left secondary school in 1999. Not obvious class differences in area at that time, having uniforms or not didn't bother them. Girls didn't seem bothered about needing to wear a skirt.

Person 5 - Mixed school. Working class background, cost of uniform was difficult.   Justification of the cost this was the equality of class they created. Tried to make uniform 'unique' (rolling up sleeves / knee high socks etc). Cat called by grown men... as a child didn't think anything of it, but thinking as an adult. Boys throwing water to make shirt see-through - never reported it. Shorts under skirt because boys would pull up skirt, never reported it... just accepted it.  If bra could be seen you were labelled a slut. Strict rules. Racial implications:  Afro hair accused of being 'messy' - major impact on sense of personal identity and how acceptable her natural hair was. Couldn't have braids.

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3 PGCE teachers/1 MA student

Experience in school:
- skirts too short and it will distract other students and the male teachers.
- being sent home for wearing make-up/nail varnish/hair styles
- policy on uniform was more strict for girls rather than boys.
- friend got sent home from 6th form for wearing a top that was 'too revealing'
- male members of staff saying makeup/hair/nails are too distracting.
- catcalled in school uniform (girls)
- 'if you don't wear the school uniform you cannot come to school'
- no skirts in uniform policy, everyone has to wear the same uniform.
- hair length has to be the same for students. If everyone looks the same then it is less likely that student will experience sexual harassment.
- Got told off for wearing a coloured bra
- had skirt taken up professionally so that I would not get told off for having my skirt rolled up.

Current experience as a student teacher:
- Female teacher dress code was being looked into. Too many staff members not being 'professional enough'.
- Skirts too short
- Uniform checks stricter for lower School years.
- wouldn't feel safe as a male teacher calling out uniform in an all girls school.
- Girls skirt and boys trousers are policed differently in schools. Question about is this a safeguarding issue?
- mixed uniform policy. Gender is specified for PE uniform only with regard to swim wear.
- donation system in the secondary school so when students reach year 11 they can donate their uniform.
- PE kits for boys and girls were VERY different. Boys wore tracksuit bottoms, girls wore tight leggings. Fitted t shirts and short skirts for girls.

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ts
- Don't have to wear skirts
- Coolest clothes

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At my school we had to wear black/navy or 'skin colour' tights - a Black peer was told that she had to remove and change her tights because hers were brown - the colour of her skin. I didn't want to trigger anyone in my group, but this really drove home to me (at the time) that the experiences of Black peers was much worse than mine. (Didn't want to trigger anyone in the group).

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When I was in my uni years we would go clubbing dressed as sexualised versions of school girls.... URGH!!!

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- H: worked in France - doesn't have any uniforms in France
- working in children's home - one of the adults yelled at girl for wearing a strappy dress that
- Black adult told younger black boy not to wear locks because he wouldn't be seen as professional in France
J: Uniform Inspectors in Junior High - some students painting on school uniforms

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GROUP 2 - PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES / EXPERIENCES AS PARENT

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GROUP 2 - PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES / EXPERIENCES AS PARENT

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Boys / Girls uniforms reinforces strict gender binary.

Long term influence - Enforced clothing choices at a young age will impact what you think is appropriate when you grow up.

Strict rules e.g. how to have your hair cut = control of society.

schools as a place of socialisation and gender role socialisation

The hidden curriculum - compliancy - reproduction of the 'acceptable' way to behave in society. Authoritarian.

From nursery children are conditioned to 'act' a certain way - son who dressed in a princess dress at nursery was commented on. This starts even BEFORE school and the implementation of uniforms.

Discomfort of uniform (tie, blazer etc). Son questions it and wants to bring it up with school council. He wants to suggest a comfortable tracksuit that is the same for all genders.

Since COVID children have gone in in PE kit on the day they have PE and has been really popular - more comfortable, less washing, more practical. Could this be an opportunity for change?

In one school the kids have learnt to work the system and turn up in PE kit on days even when they don't have PE. They say they got the day wrong and can't be sent home!! Genius!

China - In school if you're more interested in fashion and dressing up it is assumed you are less intelligent. The less you pay attention to your looks the better you will do... that has a long term impact on your sense of identity.

As a parent... it's practical. Don't need to worry about what your children are wearing. But it's so uncomfortable for the children. In winter, keeping them warm is the priority but schools don't consider this - they place uniform rules above comfort. Her daughters have asked to wear trousers to go to school because it's more comfortable, but as a mum she warned her daughters that they might need to defend their choice to wear trousers.

From a school point of view they need to think about the message - the policing of short skirts shouldn't be about sexualisation, but about professionalism and practicality.  By giving this message we are perpetuating victim blaming.

Why does wearing gender neutral clothes make you "boyish" or a "tom boy"?

Generally it is teachers responsibility to police these rules - where do you draw the line between your personal views about uniform with the school rules and follow school policy? To a certain degree you need to 'tow the line', especially as a student teacher.

Schools give mixed messages.

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Experiences from PGCE students having done placements:
- PE uniform at all-girls school with high % of FSM: everything had to be branded, adding more financial pressure on families
- Those not in correct PE were singled out
- Positive experience: when a Muslim student had a problem with one aspect of uniform, it was discussed between the student and a teacher from a similar religious background, and it was handled sensitively

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- what you wear policed as female teachers, hyper-aware of outfit
- permanent teachers police uniform heavily - won't let in classroom without uniform being perfect (sometimes first 15 mins of lesson)
- boys: button, shirt tucked in - not as head to toe extensive
- lots of commentary on black boys hair by white teachers, commentary/discussion in classroom and staffroom
- policing around bodies of black students, especially girls bums (comments from other students and way they wear uniform by teachers)
- Heteronormativity in school uniforms (uniforms as gender policing and schools reproducing hierarchy)
- Girls police each other
- All girls school/mixed school contrasts in approaches to uniform. At girls school rolling up skirts is seen as youthful, teachers think back on 'when we used to do that'/think it's funny, but in a mixed school seen in a sexualised way, as a sexual act
- pressure to fit in, conform with other girls
- about style of makeup over amount? students disciplined for fake eyelashes
- wearing small skirt under big skirt - taking off big skirt after leaving the house
- boys putting pencils (vertically standing up) on the chairs of girls who were wearing skirts (who are going to the board/bin) for them to sit down on to, assembly about 'how can we deal with this', no common approach/framework. Need for a specific policy.
- some girls wear boyfriends uniform - oversized

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- avoid gendered language for School uniform

- school uniform should be available and accessible  for all students.

- Makeup and hair should not just be limited to girls

- Girls wearing skirts is restrictive, particularly when playing sports at lunchtime.

- Students may wear makeup because they have acne. If they are being told to take it off it can lead to damaging impacts.

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- when students are having to buy really specific uniform and even branded sports uniform, its a lot of pressure on families/careers

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Working in a non-formal education centre for refugee children in Lebanon - no uniforms, but even the students' own clothes might reflect their socioeconomic situation, particularly those living in severe poverty.

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- A lot of focus on practical elements on teaching, but not on eg gender, gender theory. Academia and practice perhaps too separate

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It would be interesting to hear from boys / men about their experience of uniforms.

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Importance of male teachers / trainees to self-reflect on patriarchal attitudes related to uniform

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- Photos on school websites/in school policies/planners only of girls wearing skirts -> were trousers allowed?
- Instances of boys touching girls underneath their skirts -> lack of training in how to deal with this as a teacher
- Gendered uniform rules in primary school
- Belief that unified uniform and strict approach will improve behaviour (see Foucault); having to follow the rules more important than the rules themselves
- Culture of surveillance/self-surveillance -> boys policing girls' skirt lengths -> is this a school intention?
- Readings shown that Muslim girls are policed a lot by non-Muslim schools; using Islam as a reason why Muslim girls should not wear e.g. hoop earrings
- Gossiping among teachers in the staff room about uniform
- Reading about France: students wearing long skirts told they had to take it off because it was a religious expression
- Teachers told by SLT to address uniform infringements but not affecting student(s) or teacher; removal/rectifying it might have effects

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My nephew is very susceptible to sensory things. He HATES wearing trousers so wears school shorts year round. He's been told off many times by teachers. He also only wears shorts for PE and has been banned from doing PE in winter because of it, even though he's happy to do it in shorts.

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Spoke about this a bit in last breakout, but came up with some additional points

- Differences in comfort between gendered PE kit
- Parts of girls uniforms sometimes referred to as "distracted for males" - heteronormative
- Differences in policing between teachers or even schools can lead to difficulties
- Not much space to discuss this could increase these differences
- "Sexualisation" used a lot but student individual changes to uniform is not always rooted in this e.g. student wearing makeup to hide acne, students taking in uniform to make them feel comfortable about body image - might be rooted in other things that are much more complex
- Return from COVID has lead to a bit more relaxation in uniform
- Comments from teachers on male uniform sometimes seen as funny and not taken seriously

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Narrative on school uniforms should change 'boys/girls' to ensure we represent all students within our school, including those who identify as non-binary. This shows the importance of gendered language and neutral uniforms.

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Parents are often just as scared of breaking uniform policy and disappointing teachers as students are - scared they will be seen as 'bad parents'

Parents also scared of their children being bullied - eg wouldn't let son wear a skirt bc of fear of bullying - really sad as then the child has no space to be themselves

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I teach dance to adults in the non-formal education sector, so no uniform. But it is fascinating what some people choose to wear to class! Often very impractical clothing that they can hardly move in. I often think about implementing a 'dress code' for this reason.