A schoolboy was removed from lessons for wearing the ‘wrong trousers’ and he decided to protest the school’s rules by wearing a skirt.
Josh Mayer, who is in year 10 at Swavesey Village College in south Cambridgeshire said that he was taken out of his normal classes and asked to go to the school’s ‘Achievements Center’ for wearing trousers his mother bought from Tesco.
His mother Lizz Mayer told: “Before the summer holidays, the school announced they were changing the uniform, meaning all the parents had to throw out the old trousers and buy new ones from a specified brand.”
“I bought Josh the new ones, which he wore on the first day of term but they were so uncomfortable, so he wore the ones he had last year on the second day.”
“They put him into isolation, sending him to the Achievements Support Center. It’s mostly for children with special needs, there was no one there his age.”
“For the last four to five weeks he’s just been given presentations to go through. There’s no experts there he can ask questions to, and sometimes he doesn’t have the materials he needs.”
“He’s sitting his Ethics GCSE this year; he’s been at school for five weeks so far and he’s still not had a lesson for that yet.”
“Sadly [it] seems his trousers are more important than his education.”
She even said that her son is not allowed to go out and spend time with other students at break and is forced to eat on his own.
“He was just getting so fed up with it,” she said. “And then he saw in the school rules that there was nothing against him wearing a skirt to school, so that’s what he’s done today.”
“I actually started a petition when it started, and over 400 parents signed it but the school have not taken any notice of that. He’s had lots of support from others. I’ve also made a formal complaint which is still being considered.”
The school said that the other kids had not protested and Josh is now back in his classes after complying with the rules by wearing a skirt.
Headteacher Jim Stavrou said: “We want nothing more than each student to receive the highest standard of education throughout their time at the college, but sadly a single case of defiant protest against the new policy has occurred.
“Any student who does not comply with the uniform policy continue to receive a high standard of education in the college’s achievement support department with other students, but away from their year group. This involves individual tutoring, small group work with tutors and other students, as well as re-joining their year groups for PE.”
“We also continue to offer different solutions to allow him to re-join lessons with his year group, including providing the uniform, but these options have been refused.”
“As with all policies, we will conduct a review now that the uniform has been fully implemented. This will start this term and be completed within this academic year. All students will continue to wear our full uniform until this has been completed.”
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