Heat Waves and Uniforms

I don't know if this story has made the news in areas other than my own but on Tuesday morning, a group of Year 10 boys caused quite a stir in their school by turning up wearing skirts instead of trousers.

This was an act of protest against the boys being forced to wear trousers in the current heat when the girls have the choice between trousers and a skirt. When the boys were seen wearing the skirts, they were given a talk by the Headmaster and had to return to wearing trousers.

Despite the fact that the boys have said they will continue to protest this rule, the Headmaster of the school has said the uniform policy will continued to be enforced. The Headmaster has said that even though the boys couldn't wear shorts, the school was carrying out risk assessments to ensure the children are coping with the heat.

I don't usually write about news stories that bother me (I wouldn't know where to start) but this one annoyed me so much, I needed somewhere to voice my opinion about it.

Ignoring the fact that I disagree with the fact that boys/men shouldn't be stopped from wearing skirts, boys being forced to wear trousers in this heat is beyond ridiculous.

Britain is currently going through a heat wave. We are experiencing temperatures that are reaching (and exceeding) 30 degrees, we are currently on course for having the driest July since 1825 and parts of the country have been issued with a Level 3 Heat Wave Health warning. If that isn't reason enough to let children wear something that will keep them cool, I don't know what is.

As someone who attended a school that had a strict uniform code, I know how uncomfortable it can be to wear a school uniform in the summer. As a human being experiencing the weather this country is having, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to wear trousers right now, especially when everyone from the NHS to AgeUK is telling people to wear light, loose, cool clothing.

I'm sure the Head Teacher knows that being too hot not only causes heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration but the effects of heat can affect cognitive performance, concentration, judgement, reaction time and decision making, so why is he insisting the children continue to wear clothes that are clearly causing them discomfort? You cannot ignore, or dismiss, the seriousness of a heatwave and if students are protesting something, I think the best course of action would be to listen to what they're saying.

I am not saying the heat risk assessment that is being carried out instead is a bad idea, or that it should be stopped. In fact, regular classroom checks and handing out bottles of water are very good ideas when the weather is the way it is. It is the "instead" that I think is a bad idea. Even if children are allowed to wear their PE shorts, I think that another sensible idea would be to allow the children to wear as cool clothing as possible, to minimise the risk even further.

After all, if it's a choice between the dangerous effects of heat or changing a dress code, the answer should be a no-brainer.