New Zealand school tells girls short skirts distract boys and male staff

A teacher said the rule is designed to ‘keep our girls safe, stop boys from getting ideas and create a good work environment for male staff’

One girl said she didn't object to the rule, just the reason behind it (Getty)

Girls at a school in New Zealand have been told they must wear their skirts below the knee in order to keep from distracting boys and male staff.

Deputy principle of Henderson High School in Auckland told a group of female students after assembly that they would receive detention if their school uniform skirts were not worn below the knee, Newshub reported. The age of the girls is not known, but the lowest year has students aged 13.

Sade Tuttle, one of the girls in the group, claimed deputy principal Cherith Telford said the rule was necessary to “keep our girls safe, stop boys from getting ideas and create a good work environment for male staff”.

The student told Newshub she didn’t object to the school’s rules over uniform, but the reason behind the need for specific skirt lengths. “The rules themselves aren’t the problem; the problem is when these codes target girls specifically because their bodies are sexual and distracting,” she said.

The school’s principle, Mike Purcell, said in a statement that the rules around school uniforms are “regularly enforced to ensure that all students and teachers can focus on their learning and feel comfortable in the school environment.

“All families are made aware of them when they enrol students. The rules include a stipulation that the hemline of female students’ skirts must be on the knee, no higher.

“This rule is in line with most New Zealand schools where uniforms are worn.”

The Independent has contacted Henderson High School for comment.