School uniforms for girls

August 2017

Shabnam* attended a girls-only high school and was required to wear a dress or skirt as part of the school uniform. Shabnam’s mother made a complaint to the school. The school responded stating that girls can wear shorts, but this is not a part of the official school uniform.

Shabnam felt humiliated and distressed when she was named at assembly and in class as not wearing the uniform. Shabnam and her mother lodged a complaint with ADNSW.

At conciliation, the school representatives agreed that female students should be able to wear trousers or shorts. They also agreed to immediately include this in the standard school uniform policy and notify parents.

A timeline was established for the process in which the new uniform items would be available for sale. These arrangements resolved the complaint.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.