SCHOOLS should consider abandoning traditional dress codes in favour of gender-neutral uniforms, the Scottish Government has said.
In response to a plea from teenager Jess Insall to allow children of either gender to choose whether they wanted to wear trousers or skirts, a spokesman said ministers agreed that boys and girls “should be treated equally”.
Ms Insall, from Strathblane in Stirlingshire, successfully passed a motion in favour of the move at the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference last month.
She argued that it was a “sensible” move that should ultimately be rolled out UK-wide, saying: “It isn’t saying that everyone has to wear the same uniform – it’s saying that whatever the uniform is, there can’t be any difference between genders.
“Instead of saying boys have to wear trousers and girls have to wear skirts, schools can say pupils can choose between skirts or trousers. “It’s not about dictating the way anyone dresses.
"Gender-neutral can be quite an alienating term, but all it really means is not treating people differently because of their gender.”
Scotland’s 32 local councils currently bear responsibility for setting school uniform policy, but Ms Insall said ministers should act to create a coherent national policy on the issue.
The schoolgirl’s impressive speech at the Lib Dem conference in November led to delegates passing a motion calling for the Scottish Government to take action on the issue.
The move was also backed by the party’s UK deputy leader Jo Swinson, who campaigned for girls to be allowed to wear trousers when she was a student at Douglas Academy in Milngavie.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Ministers are clear that girls and boys should be treated equally and schools should ensure suitable school clothing is worn.”
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