Teenage boys wear skirts to school to protest shorts ban in heatwave
‘We haven’t broken any rules. We just want everyone to have the option to wear shorts in this heat and that goes for the girls too’
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Your support makes all the difference.A group of teenage boys have donned skirts in protest at their school’s ban on shorts amidst soaring temperatures throughout the UK.
Adrian Copp, 15, and around a dozen of his friends purchased £8 Asda skirts to express their frustration with Poltair School in Cornwall’s “outdated uniform policy”.
The students have exploited a loophole in the school’s uniform guide that allows students to wear skirts, but doesn’t dictate the wearer’s gender.
Copp from St Austell, Cornwall said: “I found it a lot cooler definitely. It's really uncomfortable wearing trousers in this heat.”
He said that responses throughout the school to their attire were “mixed”, however.
“Some teachers thought we were messing about. But there were others who cheered us on,” he said.
“There were a group of year eight boys who were clapping and cheering us.
“We were removed from classes and banned for socialisation for 24 hours but we were let go because they couldn't find anything to pin us on.
“We haven't broken any rules,” he insists. “We just want everyone to have the option to wear shorts in this heat and that goes for the girls too.”
Copp’s mother, Donna, agrees with her son and said the argument around shorts and skirts has been going on for several years.
“When he went to primary school he would wear shorts no problem. But for some reason it hasn't been allowed in secondary schools,” she said.
“When Adrian came up with the idea at the weekend he had my full backing.
“There's no specified gender on the uniform policy and we wanted to play by the rules.”
She added that flexibility around school uniform would also benefit female students.
“Ideally it would be to open it up for girls to wear shorts too. Some girls aren't comfortable about wearing skirts so this is about all students.”
While some of her son’s fellow students’ decision to wear a skirt eventually “bottled it”, Donna added that she was proud of her son: “I'm so proud Adrian has the guts to take a stand.”
Adrian and his two friends plan to continue wearing the skirts for the remainder of the week.
The Independent has contacted Poltair School for comment.
The news comes as the Met Office issued its first ever extreme heat weather warning on Monday.
The amber warning covers all of southwest England, large parts of Wales, and parts of southern and central England.
It will remain in place until Thursday, when temperatures are expected to peak.
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