Welcome change to student dress code

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 123 No 6, 31 August 2018, page no.6

Following an anxious wait, the new Department of Education student dress code has finally been announced, enshrining students’ right to the same uniform options, including shorts and pants, regardless of their gender.

The QTU welcomes the return-to-school-term announcement from Minister Grace Grace and the positive change that this will bring in many schools.

The Minister explained: “All Queensland girls should be able to engage in active play and classroom activities or ride their bikes to and from school without being restricted by what they’re wearing.

“At the beginning of the year, I heard loud and clear from students, parents and carers that it was time for a change to reflect community expectations.

“I asked the department to update the uniform policy to ensure we have 100 per cent of state schools offering the full range of options, including pants and shorts for girls.”

The QTU had strongly campaigned for this change along with nationwide organisations such as Girls Uniform Agenda.

All Queensland government schools, including IPS, are required to have their uniforms adhere to the new code for the start of the 2019 school year.

The new uniform dress code states school policies must:

• be developed in consultation with the school community
• be consistent with health and safety considerations
• comply with anti-discrimination legislation
• consider affordability, functionality and durability of uniform items
• provide uniform options, including shorts and pants, in all uniform categories for all students, regardless of gender.

The challenge now is to ensure that the student dress code is implemented in schools, something which is largely going to be the work of principals and their parents and citizens bodies.