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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Imogen Cooper & Kelly-Ann Mills

Schoolgirl, 12, put in isolation because her skirt was 'too short'

A mum-of-two was left furious after her daughter was put in isolation at school as her skirt was too short.

Ilana Bradley was reprimanded by a teacher on her first day back because the garment was two inches above the knee.

Fuming mum Debbie said it was the only skirt she could find to fit her 12-year-old daughter's "skinny waist".

Ilana was not allowed in lessons and her mum then had to spent six hours with her trying on 23 pairs of trousers as an alternative.

Debbie said they found it hard finding a pair that would fit because she said Ilana has the waist of a seven-year-old.

The skirt she wore to school (Triangle News)

Ilana fell foul of the policy last Monday at Minsthorpe Community College, in Pontefract, West Yorks which states skirts should sit on the knee.

Debbie, 33, said: "She was being put in isolation for the rest of the day because her skirt is too short.

"It needs to be close to the knee as it states in the uniform code of conduct.

"She'd been in school for one hour.

"She's 5'6 ish, 12-years-old and has the waist of a seven-year-old.

"I went to school to pick her up, because if she's being put into isolation, she may as well come home.

"I asked to speak to someone to find out what was going on and why it was a problem."

She added: "When I asked if the length of her skirt directly affects her education and ability to learn, I was told 'Yes'.

"When pressed on how it directly affects her education and ability to learn, I was told it's because of the school policy.

Ilana and her mum headed back to the shops (Triangle News)

"Didn't answer my question, so I explained.

"Her education and ability to learn is purely based on what comes out of her teachers mouth, and what plants itself between her ears and the level of understanding she has around that particular lesson or subject.

"So, again, how does the length of her skirt directly affect her receiving an education, and/or her ability to learn?

"School policy dictates that if uniform doesn't abide by the policies, the students are put into isolation for the day.

"So really, it's the school policy that affects her receiving an education, based on some arbitrary idea of how close to the knee her skirt is. Not, in fact, the length of her skirt."

Mum Debbie was outraged (Triangle News)

Mum Debbie, a personal development coach, of Pontefract, continued: "I don't have a problem with school uniform policies.

"It's what these policies are subconsciously teaching our children.

"It's social conditioning, it's a group of people looking at someone else and discriminating and persecuting them."

Minsthorpe Community College declined to comment.

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