Mary MacKillop College students told formal dresses must be approved before event

Students at a Brisbane Catholic girls’ school have been made to get their formal dresses approved to ensure “they wouldn’t make male teachers uncomfortable”. VOTE IN OUR POLL

A Catholic girls’ school in Brisbane’s north has come under fire for requiring formal dresses to be approved to ensure there were “no plunging necklines or low backs below the waist”.

Administrators from Nundah’s Mary MacKillop College sent an email to parents requesting photographs of formal dresses so they could be approved before last weekend’s event.

“ … The HOHs (Head of Houses) haven’t seen or approved everyone’s outfit for the night though, so please submit a photo of your dress or suit on the Microsoft Form below so we have all your photos in one spot to check,” the email read.

However, in a statement sent to The Courier-Mail, the college said “there was no process in place to approve dresses”.

Some of the dresses banned from Mary MacKillop College’s school formal. Picture: Supplied

Students and parents were also provided with a formal booklet, in which it was stated that “students are required to wear a formal attire (no plunging necklines or low backs below the waist”.

The booklet included photographs of dresses considered both appropriate and inappropriate.

A student from Mary MacKillop College said many girls had their dresses “declined” ahead of Saturday’s formal.

Some of the formal dresses that were allowed. Picture: Supplied

“I’m sure many girls have an opinion on the way the school deals with dress codes, we get it thrown in our face that we will ‘make the male teachers uncomfortable’,” she said.

“We had the same conversation for our Grade 11 semi formal – they’re legitimately sexualising 14 to 17 year olds.”

A parent from Mary MacKillop College said the girls were not allowed to wear anything “low cut, low back or high slit”.

“My understanding is that because it’s a Catholic girls’ school, everyone is expected to be a bit more ‘prim and proper’, dressing appropriately and conservatively.” she said.

She said the girls were told to take a photograph of their dress ahead of the formal and make sure the outfit was “approved”.

“I do know one of the girls was made to wear a shawl over the cleavage area – she was told that she needed a shawl and if she didn’t bring her own she would be given one on the night to wear,” she said.

“They have been doing it for a few years because my older daughter went through the same thing – even the semi-formal last year was the same.

“On one hand I can see where they are coming from because it’s a Catholic girls school and they probably have standards to uphold but I know the boys schools are more relaxed.

Mary MacKillop College at Nundah. Picture: Supplied

“There is a massive difference between what the girls schools allow compared to the boys – I see where the school is coming from but it’s a once in a lifetime thing and I think the girls should be allowed to wear something they are comfortable in.”

A Brisbane Catholic Education spokesman said the Mary MacKillop College formal last weekend was an “outstanding success” with “Year 12 students gathering for their celebratory evening both beautifully dressed and beautifully behaved.”

“The evening went without incident. As happens every year, students were provided an information guide to the school formal,” the statement said.

Originally published as Mary MacKillop College students told formal dresses must be approved before event