Welsh Boys Wear Skirts To School Protesting No-Shorts Policy During Heat: How Long Until School Uniforms Pose Health Threats?
The summer heat has reached its breaking point for a group of high school students in Wales, as the boys decided to protest their school's strict uniform policy, which prohibits wearing shorts no matter the weather, by showing up to school in skirts.
The boys' demonstration was less an act of politically spurred civil disobedience than it was a way to beat the heat. Seventeen sophomores participated in the event, showing up to Whitchurch High School, located in Wales' capital city of Cardiff, in their customary uniform trousers before escaping to the bathroom to change into all-black skirts.
While none of the boys were punished for their protesting efforts, the movement was short-lived. After proudly marching into the headmaster's office chanting "We want to wear shorts!," they were quickly ordered to change back into pants.
"We had a conversation with some boys this morning and they have worn trousers," said headmaster Huw Jones-Williams.
Protester Tyrone Evelyn, 15, told Wales Online that the group would continue campaigning for a change.
"It's just appropriate for the weather. We don't want to be hot and bothered. Over the last few days I've had a few headaches and skin irritations because I've been too hot," he said. "Girls can wear skirts, so I don't see why we can't wear shorts. It's a reasonable protest."
The boys agreed to write their student council, lobbying for a rule change by next summer.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are the two most common illnesses that occur when the mercury level rises. According to Mayo Clinic, wearing loose-fitting and light-colored clothing helps protect a person from trapping sweat or absorbing too much heat.
When clothes become too restrictive or contain dark colors, the heat absorbed by the body intensifies. As the layer of clothing blocks perspiration from interacting with the air, the body's cooling mechanisms can't function properly — the hot weather only intensifying the problem. (Consider wearing a ski jacket in the dead of winter and still sweating profusely.)
Questioned about his school's strict uniform rules, which ban boys from wearing shorts but allow girls to choose between skirts or trousers, Jones-Williams said no changes could be made without a consultation, but added the school was carrying out risk assessments to ensure children are coping with the heat.
Jones-Williams said the school is always "keen to listen to our students," conceding they were fully aware people have "indicated that they would want to wear shorts."
"It should be optional to wear three-quarter length shorts," said Evelyn's mother Andrea John, 51, who added another incentive of letting the boys wear shorts: "It would cost exactly the same as if they wore trousers."