A group of teenage boys who wore skirts to protest their school’s uniform rules have won the right to wear shorts to class.
More than 30 boys at Isca Academy in Exeter donned skirts borrowed from their sisters and friends after one pupil was reportedly told he would be put in isolation if he wore shorts to school during the UK’s recent heatwave.
Wednesday was the hottest day in Britain for 40 years, with temperatures reaching almost 34 degrees in parts of London.
Under the school’s current uniform rules, male students must wear trousers, while female students are allowed to choose between grey trousers or a tartan skirt.
But the academy has now said boys will be allowed to wear shorts from next year, explaining that the uniform change could put “undue pressure” on some families if it was introduced immediately.
“Shorts are not currently part of our school uniform for boys,” a statement on the academy website reads.
“Contrary to news reports, we have not banned shorts; shorts are simply not part of our school uniform.
“However, as summers are becoming hotter, shorts will be introduced as part of our school uniform next year having first consulted with students and parents.”
In the meantime, students will be allowed to untuck their shirts and leave their top buttons undone and will not be expected to wear a tie or a blazer.
None of the boys involved in the protest will be punished, the statement added.
The students caught the attention of newspapers across the country, with fans of the protest saying it made them “optimistic about future generations”: