Parents Fight for Warm Uniforms for Girls in Chita
Parents of female students at School No. 52 in Chita told «Chita.Ru» that girls are forced to wear dresses even in freezing temperatures and are scolded if they come in trousers. Press secretary of the city«s Education Committee, Geser Radnaev, refuted this information on 4 February, explaining that wearing trousers is allowed when the temperature falls below -30°C (-22°F).
«Girls are forced to wear dresses in winter, while outside it«s freezing with icy Transbaikal winds. Parents cannot fix the situation on their own; children are scolded at assemblies and formations and sent home,» said a mother of a student.
She added that the strict enforcement of uniform rules began this year: «The climate here is harsh, with frost and wind. Men wear trousers and long johns until the end of May, and all government services have two uniform options — winter and summer. The teachers themselves come to work in trousers, but girls are forced to wear dresses. They put on shows and hold constant assemblies, like in the army.»
The press secretary of the Education Committee said they had not received any complaints from parents. Radnaev added that allowances exist during frost: «School No. 52 has a regulation on wearing school uniforms. According to this regulation, all students are required to follow the established rules. For girls, wearing trousers is allowed when the air temperature is below -30°C (-22°F). During the recent cold snap, the school administration did not make any comments to female students regarding compliance with this rule.»
