During a heatwave, a boy protested his school’s shorts ban by wearing a skirt, sparking discussions about fairness in dress code.
Boy protests ‘No Shorts’ policy of the school
A 13-year-old student named Bodhi responded to the shorts ban during a heatwave at Marple Hall School in Stockport by taking a stand.
He wore a skirt to school as a form of protest.
Despite the scorching temperatures, the school enforced a strict ‘no shorts’ policy.
Bodhi’s actions directly challenged the uniform rule that allowed girls to wear skirts with ankle socks or tights.
The rule made no accommodations for boys during the sweltering conditions.
The boy sent home twice for uniform violations
The school’s decision sparked controversy, particularly after Bodhi was sent home twice in one week.
He had tried to adjust his uniform to cope with the heat.
His sister, Taylor Gillon, shared that Bodhi was first sent home for not wearing his blazer on a scorching day.
He was sent home again for wearing shorts instead of trousers when the temperature reached around 30°C.
“I had told him that morning that there would be no point in him taking it because it was hot and he won’t be wearing it.
It was about 30C that day.
“On Wednesday, he went in wearing shorts because of the heat and got sent home to put his trousers on.
Before that, there was an email saying that girls could come in with skirts without tights on and short socks,
so we thought he would be fine with shorts.
“We were told that shorts weren’t part of the uniform and weren’t allowed.
Bodhi thought it was really unfair, so asked my mum to order a skirt for him so he could still be in uniform and be cooler in the weather,” Taylor recalled.
Family supports student’s protest as school uniform policy faces criticism
In defiance of the school’s uniform policy, Bodhi decided to wear a skirt to stay cool while still following the dress code.
His family supported his decision to take this stand.
Taylor expressed frustration with the school’s lack of flexibility.
She pointed out that girls could wear skirts with ankle socks, but boys were not allowed to wear shorts.
Taylor questioned how students could concentrate on their studies while being uncomfortable in the classroom.
She said: “Whenever we spoke to the school about it, we were just told that shorts weren’t part of the uniform,
“Other schools have policies where you can wear shorts, it makes no sense.
“How are you going to concentrate when you’re sitting in a classroom sweating away?
I just feel that it is one rule for one and one rule for another.”
Marple Hall School responded to the issue
In response, Marple Hall School said they expect students to follow the uniform policy.
They also support students during hot weather by encouraging hydration and providing access to water coolers.
The school ensures there are shaded areas during break times.
Despite this, the school maintained its stance on the uniform rules, emphasizing the importance of students wearing the prescribed attire.
“We do expect students to continue to wear uniform in line with our expectations,
but in periods of hot weather, the school ensures that steps are taken to support students and promote their welfare.
“This includes encouraging students to bring drinks bottles and ensuring they have access to water coolers,
encouraging students to stay in shaded areas at break times and ventilating and
shading classrooms and allowing students to attend school without their blazer.”