A mum has pulled her daughter out of school over what she describes as a ‘military inspection’ of uniforms. Cola Glenny’s 12-year-old daughter, Pearl, was reportedly penalised for having a skirt just 2cm above the allowed limit. After being isolated in the main hall all day without food or drink, Cola decided enough was enough.
Cola explained that Pearl’s skirt appeared fine but exceeded the school’s strict policy by 2cm due to her height. Feeling the school had gone too far by measuring skirts at the entrance, with more than 20 girls reportedly facing the ruler test that same day, Cola chose to homeschool Pearl for the time being.
Many other parents joined her in protest after their daughters faced similar scrutiny. Cola highlighted: “So many girls were just crying. How can a skirt bought by us parents cause such humiliation?”
Although the school, part of the Leigh Academies Trust, defended its uniform policy as preparing students for the professional world, they promised to get in touch with Cola to find a suitable solution. They mentioned the effort to allow skirts from various retailers to make uniform compliance easier.
Cola maintained that while she supports reasonable uniform rules, the current approach feels more like a strict crackdown than a learning environment. Pearl, previously happy and settled, now feels unsafe and bullied in her own school. “It’s like a military camp,” Cola remarked. “I just don’t see how this helps anyone’s education.” What’s your view on this uniform row?