Four boys at the Longhill High School, in Brighton, East Sussex, wore skirts to school in protest after they were pulled up for wearing shorts.
The 14-year-old pupils were punished for wearing shorts in a bid to keep cool on the hottest day of the year. In protest, the students decided to borrow from the girls' official uniform, The Mirror reported.
Michael Parker, Kodi Ayling, George Boyland and Jesse Stringer were allowed to wear the pleated skirts as they are within the school's rules.
On Tuesday -- the hottest day of the year -- around 20 boys wore Longhill-branded gym shorts.
They were all punished by the secondary school as they were not wearing "regulation uniform".
Some of the students were sent home and others were kept in isolation and excluded the following day.
"It's not fair for boys to be roasting in black trousers on the hottest day of the year while the girls can wear skirts," Parker was quoted as saying.
Wesley Allen, Kodi's dad, said the school's decision to punish the boys for wearing shorts was "madness".
"The shorts he had on have the school logo on them and I think should be allowed to wear them on hot days," he said.
"I think it's madness. The boys have done this to prove a point and I think it's brilliant. I don't think Kodi will wear the skirt all summer but I do think he likes the attention," Allen said.
"Four male students at Longhill High School chose to wear a skirt to school. Students can choose to wear any part of the agreed school uniform," she said.
You’ve hit your limit of 5 free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app