A boy has gone to school in a skirt in protest after allegedly being taken out of lessons for wearing the wrong trousers.
Josh Mayers, a year 10 student at Swavesey Village College, Cambridgeshire, has been taught away from his classmates for more than a month.
His mother Lizz Mayers claimed the only reason Josh was taken out of lessons was because he was wearing Tesco trousers rather than the more expensive David Luke ones that can only be bought from the school’s official uniform suppliers.
Josh Mayers, a year 10 student at Swavesey Village College, Cambridgeshire, has been taught away from his classmates for more than a month. He is pictured with his mother Lizz
She says that this is the third uniform change the school has made in three years.
Mrs Mayers had actually bought Josh the right pair, but he had found them uncomfortable.
Josh Mayer is pictured in the skirt. His mother Mrs Mayers had actually bought Josh the right pair, but he had found them uncomfortable
Lizz said: ‘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 Centre. 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 always 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.
‘He even not allowed to go at breaktimes and lunch with the other students. He has to go eat in the canteen on his own. All because he’s got the wrong trousers.
‘Sadly the school seems his trousers are more important than his education. He’s coping really well, and I’m really proud of him. He’s seen all the emails and he knows what he is doing. But he also doesn’t want to go into school.
‘He was just getting so fed up with it, 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.
‘The school should be talking to the wider community about these sorts of things rather than just making changes and then forcing people into accepting it.’
Lizz added that she was told other students had been protesting against Josh’s treatment at school.
Mother Lizz Mayers claimed the only reason Josh was taken out of lessons was because he was wearing Tesco trousers rather than the more expensive David Luke ones that can only be bought from the school’s official uniform suppliers. The college is pictured above
Swavesey Village College disputed the claims that Josh has been sent to isolation, saying that there had been other children with him. It added that he was also able to join his year group during PE lessons.
A spokesman for the school also claimed that there had not been student protests, adding that Josh had now returned to normal lessons now that he was complying with the uniform code, albeit by wearing a skirt.
The school’s principal, Jim Stavrou, is pictured above. Swavesey Village College disputed the claims that Josh has been sent to isolation
The school’s principal, Jim Stavrou, said: ‘Since the uniform changes were introduced, we have received much positive feedback, and many visitors, parents and staff have commented on how smart pupils look and the impression the uniform gives of the high standards at Swavesey Village College.
‘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.’