Girls' Uniform At Junior High School In Mie Prefecture To Allow Trousers
A junior high school in the central Japanese prefecture of Mie has decided to allow trousers for female students' uniform as measures for gender diversity and keeping warm during the winter season.
Owase Junior High School was founded in 1947. For more than 50 years, its school rules stipulated that male students need to wear jackets with stand-up collars and pants, and female students blazers and skirts.
From last year through earlier this year, the student council and others had been calling for trousers to be adopted for the girls' uniform. They cited gender diversity and protection against cold weather.
The school revised its rules to allow female students to choose skirts or trousers from October 3.
It also removed a description from its rules that dictated uniforms by gender.
Vice president of the student council, Kitamura Haruka, said it is good that there are more options, as students are free to choose trousers if they do not like to wear skirts, or want to dress warmly in winter.
The head of the council, Nagata Ryota, said he hopes students will be able to wear what they like.
School vice principal Nakano Keita said that he hopes the change will encourage students to think more about gender diversity.