The parent of a schoolgirl starting high school this September has called out what she describes as an 'outrageous' uniform policy.
The youngster will be starting St Damian's RC Science College, in Ashton, Tameside, and wants to wear trousers.
But when her mum asked about it, she was told only boys can wear trousers and girls must wear skirts.
"I find this totally outrageous and not sure how this is allowed with the equality laws," said the mum, whose daughter has been allowed to wear trousers for primary school.
"Girls are at a disadvantage dealing with freezing weather and even upskirting. I can't believe such sexist attitudes are still prevalent in high schools."
The mum-of-one, who asked not to be identified, highlighted a recent tweet from comedian Jenny Eclair, who joined a discussion about the issue of females wearing trousers and said it wasn't until 1995 that her sister was able to wear them at work.
In the tweet, Jenny said: "Talking to my sister, as a female barrister (qualified late 70s) she wasn't allowed to wear trousers in court until 1995 - that's 1995!!! Sometimes 'once upon a time' is not v long ago."
The pupil's mum, from Oldham, said: "It's nearly 30 years on and girls are still forbidden from wearing trousers to school. It really makes me angry.
"With all the articles recently about short skirts being measured by school staff, surely the obvious solution is trousers."
The school's website shows photos of the expected uniform and states 'black pleated skirt of modest length*(approximately 2 inches above the knee) and then 'black trousers (boys only)'.
The mum said she raised the issue at the school's open evening where she asked a teacher about the policy.
"I asked about it at the open evening and a teacher said it's always a bone on contention, but it's the headmaster's decision and that's the way it is," she told us.
"They couldn't give me the reason why they had to wear skirts though. I wouldn't mind but the skirts are so short. I was in Asda last week and saw a pupil with her mum and her skirt was so short. They aren't enforcing the knee length bit of the policy."
The 40-year-old said that plenty of other schools allow girls to wear trousers, including Mossley Hollins, St Thomas More RC College and All Saints Catholic College, all in Tameside.
Uniform Reform is the new partner campaign to Let Clothes Be Clothes, which aims to end gender stereotyping in the design and marketing of childrenswear. Its focus is on advocating better school uniform policies based on quality academic research.
Francesca Cambridge Mallen MA (PHDc), at Uniform Reform, has urged the school to reconsider its policy.
She said: "We are aware that some uniform policies in the UK continue to ban girls from wearing trousers, and would ask schools to urgently revisit such rules by establishing a meaningful dialogue with parents and pupils.
"Schools also have a public duty to promote the 2010 Equality Act, and really need to consider how they can legally defend forbidding girls from wearing trousers when it clearly contravenes conventional dress standards. For example, the UK Government Equalities Office notes that requiring women to wear skirts at work is 'likely to be unlawful' - why are girls and young women subject to such rigid rules dictating female dress?"
She added: "Where girls are banned from wearing trousers there is also strong evidence to suggest female pupils are at a disadvantage to boys, for example by restricting movement, controlling the behaviour of girls - who must be at all times aware of how they are sitting - and preventing regular or incidental exercise, such as cycling to school.
"No one should have to alter their behaviour due to the criminal actions of others, but upskirting is a legitimate concern for girls and young women on their journey to and from school (via public transport) and on school grounds. Why would we not want female pupils to be as comfortable and confident as possible?"
St Damian's RC Science College and the Diocese of Salford declined to comment.
Does your child's school have a skirts-only policy for girls? Is it something pupils have been campaigning about? Let us know in the comments here.
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