Scotland
For equality: School encourages boys to wear skirts
On “Wear a Skirt to School Day”, many boys and teachers came to school in skirts
© Ben Birchall / Picture Alliance
A school in Edinburgh, Scotland asked boys, girls and teachers to wear skirts to school for a day. They want to show that gender has no clothing.
When news reached a primary school in Scotland that a boy in Spain had been suspended from class simply because he was wearing a skirt, they came up with something special. To show solidarity with the boy, they introduced “Wear a Skirt to School Day”.
Primary school for more equality
Castleview Primary School in Edinburgh, Scotland encouraged both girls and boys to take part in “Wear a Skirt to School Day”. The P6B class (the sixth and final grade of the Scottish Primary School) initiated the project. The background is the Spanish campaign “La ropa no tiene género” (clothing has no gender). It was launched in the Spanish city of Bilbao after 15-year-old Mikel Gomez was suspended from class for wearing a skirt to school. In addition, a visit to a psychologist was recommended.
In order to support the campaign and to show solidarity with Mikel Gomez, the students of Castleview Primary School had the idea that not only teachers but also teachers should wear skirts to school on November 4th. They wanted to set an example for equality and promote tolerance, reports the local news portal “Edinburgh Live”.
Teacher reports on Twitter
Miss White, the teacher in class P6B, shared her enthusiasm for the campaign on the social media platform Twitter and called for participation a few days in advance. “We organized the ‘Wear a Skirt to School Day’ to create awareness for the #LaRopaNoTieneGénero campaign,” wrote the teacher.
Her class has already learned a lot about gender stereotypes and the importance of breaking with them. Miss White also emphasized that no one is forced to wear something that he / she does not like. But she hopes many will help spread the word.
Action also earns criticism
The action generated mixed reactions from parents and on social media. Above all in the network, there were some voices that didn’t like the action at all. Something like that spoiled the children, claimed a user on Twitter. “So the letter from a child caused such an uproar that adults lose their minds and endorse this nonsense,” commented another user on the teacher’s tweet.
Many people were just as convinced of the action as the teacher and the children and supported the day. One comment on social media reads: “They are confident young learners who are encouraged to be themselves and to accept and love others for who they are. Well done, Castleview.” A spokesman for the city administration also commented on the campaign: “As Scotland’s capital, we are fully committed to promoting diversity.” One wants to promote respect, tolerance and understanding, especially in schools.
Sources: “Daily Mail”, “Mirror “, “Edinburgh Live “