Blog - Page 4 of 8 - Girls' Uniform Agenda

Queensland – it’s a private problem and it’s time to speak out

By Amanda Mergler10/09/2018Blogdata, private school

School uniform policies in Queensland’s Catholic and Independent schools, and Brisbane High Schools, are shocking! We recently finished going through the uniform policies online of all Queensland Catholic, Independent and Public schools. This was a massive job – we looked through 1,855 school uniform policies. We did this work from May 2017 to May 2018. While a few schools may have changed their uniform policies over this time, the large numbers we are dealing with

Young Uniform Activists – Inspiring Change

By admin30/08/2018Blog, Case Studiesactivism, change agents, girls voices, school girls

We love our young uniform activists! There’s no doubt that they are change agents – transforming their school uniform policies so girls at their schools have the choice of wearing pants and shorts as their everyday uniform. This is a great story of how Sofia, our dynamic young uniform activist from WA, inspired 10 year old Lou Lou. Lou Lou was so impressed with Sofia that she gave a speech for a public speaking

The Top End is Top for Uniform Choices for Girls

By Amanda Mergler26/08/2018BlogNorthern Territory, policy review, state review, uniform choices

The Northern Territory (NT) has excellent school uniform policies! I‘ve just completed a review of uniform policies of all Catholic, Independent, and Public schools in the top end. And what I found was exciting, wonderful and progressive. By and large, schools in the NT offer inclusive uniform policies to all children. Many of their school uniform policies are gender neutral, in that they list a range of uniform options and do not divide these into

Girls Have A Right to Education Free From Discrimination

By Amy Blain06/08/2018Blog, Case Studiesactivism, change agents, choice, discrimination, shorts and pants

One parent’s fight, backed by the Anti-Discrimination Board, for her daughters’ rights to have the choice of wearing shorts and pants to school. Missy M’s three daughters were very cold and uncomfortable in their dress uniform. So, Missy asked the school principal if shorts and long pants for girls could be added to the uniform list. Missy tells her story below: “She [the principal] said no, just like that, a straight, flat out no! I then

Public School Communities Want Girls in Shorts and Pants

By Amanda Mergler27/06/2018BlogAbout Us, arguments, data, Survey

What results would you get if you surveyed parents, teachers and principals and asked: should girls be forced to wear dresses and skirts to school? While it appears blatantly discriminatory, and Australian states have anti-discrimination legislation preventing it, many schools are still doing this. There must be widespread support from parents, teachers and principals, for girls to have uniform choice, surely? South Australia says no to forcing girls to wear dresses and skirts Thanks to the South Australian

School Uniforms: Reinforcing Harmful Gender Stereotypes

By Amanda Mergler24/06/2018Bloggender, gender stereotypes, gendered uniform options, research

While we all have opinions about school uniforms, and the impact they may have on girls, it is fascinating to read scholarly research in the area. Recently, I read a PhD thesis completed in 2015 by Dr Sue (Susan) Bennett of Deakin University called Gender Relations in Elite Coeducational Schools. This research involved three elite coeducational schools in Melbourne, Australia. It included interviews and informal conversations with staff and students; and observations in classrooms and during lunchtime and extra-curricular activities. Dr Bennett’s

Girls Wearing Shorts to School: Taking Action on an Age-old Problem

By Amanda Mergler20/06/2018Blog, Case Studiesactive girls, activism, decades, discrimination, shorts

We often hear schools say no-one has ever raised the issue of girls wearing shorts or pants. Often we hear from parents who are pleased to hear about Girls Uniform Agenda; they had thought they were the only person who felt uniform choice was important. After all, the P&C, and the Principal, had said that nobody had ever asked if girls could wear shorts or pants. We know this can’t be true. This argument is