'Girls shouldn't have to wear skirts to school'

Two school girls from County Fermanagh are campaigning for legislation to force schools to offer girls a choice between skirts and tros.

Rhea and Astrid successfully campaigned for Enniskillen Integrated Primary School to allow girls to wear tros, and said it's "weird and unfair" that some schools still enforce skirts.

They are taking their case to Stormont's education committee on Tuesday afternoon as part of a hearing into broad changes to school uniform law.

Education Minister Paul Givan told BBC News NI the decision lies with individual schools and their boards of governors.

Some schools in Northern Ireland already allow girls to have a choice between tros and skirts.

Enniskillen Integrated Primary was prompted to change its policy after Rhea and Astrid ed Dr Mairead Ryan, whose research outlined a relation between school uniforms and physical activity.

In a letter to the school, Dr Ryan said: "Gendered uniforms can limit girls' movement and engagement in physical activities."

"Uniform items like dresses and skirts can restrict certain movements and inhibit young girls from climbing, jumping, and participating in other forms of active play that are crucial for their development," she added.

Rhea said: "I didn't really like being made to wear a skirt, it just felt wrong. It's 2025.

"It's quite hard to run around without your skirt blowing up in the wind," she added.

"All schools have the power to change it so if you have the power, then I think you probably should."

Astrid said: "I think its important to have the choice for our privacy and for our comfort.

"It's weird that some schools don't give you the choice to wear tros. It's a bit old school."

St John the Baptist's College in Portadown, County Armagh, gives their pupils a choice between wearing skirts or tros.

Principal Noella Murray said the idea initially came from pupils on the student council.

"Our pupils are never backwards about coming forward with their opinions and suggestions, and one of the reasons they put forward was comfort and practicality," she said.

"They felt that in their everyday lives their preference was to wear tros rather than skirts so that was a good rationale and we accepted it."

One of the pupils is Rhiannon who likes to wear tros to school.

"I think it's really good for students to have that choice and individuality," she said.

The 16-year-old added: "It helps me focus on my academics, it's really comfortable so it makes it easier to focus and I'm just a person who would wear tros.

"I do think (all schools) should give that choice, as it entitles them to the same choice to wear tros as anyone else."

Another pupil from St John the Baptist's College is 13-year-old Molly.

She said the choice of wearing a skirt or tros allows girls to "express themselves as their own individual person".

"I've chosen my skirt because I really like just the way it fits me and I just think it's more comfortable," she said.

"I think that is a very good option and I'd like to see all schools introduce it."

Another pupil who chooses to wear a skirt is Annie who says "it really comes down to if you feel comfortable in tros or skirts".

The 14-year-old said: "We've got a very big variety of students wearing tros and skirts and it's very good to see."

"I wore the school skirt because I think our school uniform's very smart and the skirts suits me the most I think, and it's very comfortable for me."

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, Education Minister, Paul Givan, said: "Whenever it comes to decisions should I then give the legal right for a child to say I'm going to wear a school tie or not."

When challenged, he said "I'm widening it out, because it can't be taken in isolation between a tro and a skirt."

The committee hearing on Tuesday will examine wide ranging changes proposed to the law around school uniforms.

It includes proposals to make school uniforms more affordable, and limiting the amount of branded items which parents and retailers have said drives up the cost.