School uniforms: Girls not given an option to wear shorts

The Education Department will not enforce its policy, which states “girls must have the option to wear shorts and pants”, but will instead leave it to principals and parents groups to devise their own uniform changes with uniform suppliers.

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Girls are not being offered shorts as part of their public school uniforms, despite the state government promising to give girls the option to ditch dresses more than 18 months ago.

When schools go back this week, parents from across the state won’t be able to buy shorts for their girls as part of the summer uniform.

The Education Department will not enforce its policy, which states “girls must have the option to wear shorts and pants”, but will instead leave it to principals and parents groups to devise their own uniform changes with uniform suppliers.

That is despite some schools skirting around the rule by only offering girls the choice to wear a dress or boys shorts, such as Neutral Bay Public School.

Girls in Queensland schools are given an option to wear shorts but it is not being enforced in NSW. Picture: Jamie Hanson

“The navy cargo shorts are the boys shorts. Both boys and girls can wear them,” Neutral Bay Public School president Sharmila Soorian said.

“We are happy with the cargo shorts as it can be used between girls and boys and siblings within families.”

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Analysis of uniform catalogues revealed schools such as Brookvale Public School, Northern Beaches Secondary Campus Manly Selective Campus and Sydney Secondary College Leichardt only offer girls dresses in summer.

The education department has watered down its policy, which Premier Gladys Berejiklian dubbed a “modern makeover” in 2018. Instead of shorts, schools can offer girls skorts — shorts with a flap across the front resembling a skirt.

“In consultation with their parent community, schools can consider skorts as an option when complying with the uniform policy,” an education department spokesman said.

Originally published as School uniforms: Girls not given an option to wear shorts