A 12-year-old schoolboy attended lessons dressed in a skirt to protest against ”discriminatory” rules which ban boys from wearing shorts.
Chris Whitehead wore a girls’ knee-length skirt to classes at Impington Village College, near Cambridge, Cambs.
The schoolboy is protesting against a school uniform policy which bans boys from wearing shorts during the summer months.
He also addressed 1,368 pupils at morning assembly wearing the black skirt, which boys are permitted to wear due to a loophole in the policy.
Chris believes that forcing boys to wear long trousers during the sizzling summer months affects concentration and their ability to learn.
He said: ”In the summer girl students are allowed to wear skirts but boys are not allowed to wear shorts.
”We think that this discriminates against boys. I will march in a skirt with other boys waving banners and making a lot of noise.
”I will be wearing the skirt at school all day in protest at the uniform policy and addressing the assembly with the student council, wearing a skirt.”
Teachers at Impington Village College imposed a ban on boys’ shorts two years ago following consultation with parents and teachers.
But when aspiring politician Chris joined the school he was outraged by the policy and pledged to overturn the ban.
The year 8 pupil marched to school through Impington today alongside half a dozen pupils waving banners.
Chris’s mum Liz Whitehead, 50, has praised her son for standing up for ”what he believes in”.
She said: ”I am delighted that Chris is taking action on what he believes in, which the school actually encourages, so he is only doing what he is taught.
”I am really proud he is brave enough to wear a skirt to school for what he believes in and back him all the way.”
Headteacher Robert Campbell said the ban on shorts was imposed following consultation with students, teachers and parents in 2009.
He said: ”Our uniform policy had a significant consultation and ours is typical of most schools in Cambridgeshire and the consensus was we were going to go for that.
”The issue creeps up during the summer months.
”Ultimately the boys can wear a skirt to school because it doesn’t say they can’t in the uniform policy and we would be discriminating against them if we did not allow it.
”Chris is a very bright and articulate student and we have got a very strong student council. He is one of only two year 8 pupils on it.
”I know he wants to go into politics and has got strong principles – so maybe Parliament is not the best place for him.”
Chris’s parents Brian Whitehead, 48, who manages and owns a publishing company, and mum Liz, 50, a secondary school maths teacher, support their son’s protest.
Brian said: ”It’s a very creative and imaginative idea to make a clear point. I was worried about him getting picked on but he just shrugged his shoulders.
”Hopefully if Chris puts across a competent argument as to why the rules should be changed the school might look at altering the policy.”
It’s only discriminatory if the girls can wear shorts, but the boys can’t. If they’re both allowed to wear skirts, then there’s no discrimination.
Unless the girls can choose to wear trousers or skirts depending on the weather, and the boys are only allowed trousers and no shorts.
I think he looks fine in the skirt – I see no reason why he, or other boys, shouldn’t wear skirts to school any more than girls shouldn’t wear trousers. Skirts are a cool and sensible alternative, surely? It’s only a fashion tradition that boys don’t wear them, yet designers have been marketing men’s skirts for decades. Forget the shorts, Chris, wear your skirt with pride – and you can bet other boys will follow and it will become a non event.
Men don’t wear Skirts, we wear Kilts!
It is somewhat discriminatory because girls, via skirts, have an alternative to pants where as guys don’t.
My school was like this one back in the day. the problem wasn’t the guys in shorts, but was rather the girls, whose shorts were, well, far shorter and showed more leg then the guys. The school banned shorts to ‘protect the boys academics’ or some shizzle.
So the girls just wore leggy skirts instead, effectively negating the policy and screwing over the boys who had no hot weather alternative.
Our school solved this pretty simply: They had a minimum knee-to-clothing distance. If, when you stood up, your clothing (shorts or skirts) stopped shorter than 2″ or 3″ above the knee, it was too short. (I forget the exact length, but it was something like that.) Seems reasonable to me.
Our High School went through this same thing, and did pretty much the same thing as Kerthunk’s school: wear either shorts or skirts, but whatever you call them, they have to be a certain length.
Get that young man a utilikilt, stat!
Youe right I wear a Utilitykilt a lot Im 6 feet 4 inch tall . If Im not in that I am in cargo shorts. Wear what you want its just clothes. Along time ago we did not wear anything.
When I was in Jr Hi (Middle school now) we had a heat wave one Spring and on a dare I wore shorts to school one day. Remember: this was in Texas in the early 60’s. Absolutely nothing was said except that others wished they had the guts to do that (Boys) I made my point and the air conditioning was lowered,(classrooms were sweltering) so no more shorts for me! The young man in the article has the courage of his convictions, I say “Good for Him” ! Also I agree: either let the boys wear shorts, or a Kilt. It’s only fair, and the smart way out of this impasse.
I think anyone can tell this kid has balls. Lol.
It’s the same as allowing girls to have long hair and boys have to keep it a certain length. Fair is fair.
Freaking Awesome!!!! Congrats from Birmingham, Alabama Chris
Fight the power Kid!
What is worn underneath the skirt? Nothing, everything is in perfect working order.
Keep fighting the good fight.
If he were my child, I’d turn his ass cherry red – for being an ass. He will probably become the first person, to want to “Legally” marry a goat also…
Allow me to set aside all articulate notions or poignant thoughts used to gently sway ones ideals, so that i may instead plainly speak the truth. You’re a douche.
Perhaps he could marry a sheep, are you available?
Did anyone else notice this comment from the Headteacher?
”I know he wants to go into politics and has got strong principles – so maybe Parliament is not the best place for him.”
….i find this to be the most intriguing and frightening aspect of this entire article. am i miss-interpreting what he has said or is this a blatant statement that the head of this school doesn’t want individuals aspiring to parliament because they think intelligently, act not simply talk, and have strong convictions?
The headteacher was just paying his student a compliment while making a cynical, jaded observation about our parliament – that someone with principles (like the student) would be out of place in parliament (which is a pit of power hungry deal-making expense-fiddling adulterers)
ahhhhh, i can see that. good point. too bad he and you are correct.
What about the poor kid’s bulge?
so it looks like the headmaster thinks that parliment sucks.
That uniform skirt is rather designed like a kilt. Gives it a rather unisex look. Other schools should adopt the style and increase everyone’s options.
HAH! you GO BOY!!!!! that’s amazing and i’m 100% behind this kid. i hope he wins
What a guy. Well done I hope you get the ban overturned.
I’m sick and tired of this feminized culture alwys wrapping, shaming, and humiliating boys/males. Women needed liberation, now men do too.
I live in shorts because of a skin condidion I also sometimes put on utility kilt its more dressy than the shorts and affter you get over the the lookks its great I am 6ft4 so I do get some looks put on what you feel cofortable in long trousers shorts skirts for any sex look back at history both sexes wore skirts this kid stands up for everyone to be smart but to dress in something that they are happy with good look Matty
talk about skirting the issue!
The skin sensitivity and heat sensitivity issues that feature in some medical conditions, notably incuding autism and attention deficit which potentially affect large numbers. This proves all dress codes and uniforms are genocide. They crush biologically real minority strands of human identity out of visibly existing. The definition of genocide is to destroy a group “in whole or in part”.
I am an male aspie with a sensitivity need for shorts, who chanced always to be a victim of longs uniforms at school from an early age. They were a medical abuse of my body. I have been assisted by a supported employment service that has backed up my need as a medically important to wellbeing at work, so that I am right to only take employment that allows it. if this defence can be given to an adult, it can be given to school students too – it proves that the serious medical importance of banning school uniforms as a bodily abuse has already been known for years. All kids who still suffer any dress code have medical grounds to sue, and my write-up on this in the April issue (number 66) of Asperger United magazine is offered as supporting evidence in it.