School introduces "gender-neutral" uniforms

FROM July this year, students at a Maryborough high school will be able to choose their uniform based on their self-identified gender.    

Maryborough State High School is updating their uniform, classing it as either "casual" or "formal", not "boys" or "girls", giving all students the freedom to wear shorts, skirts, a blouse and tie.  

  Grade 9 student Samantha Ireland said she was happy to be given the option of wearing shorts or pants to school.

 "The new senior girls' uniform will include shorts and long pants as well so it's not just restricted to the skirt so that's a good option to have," Samantha said.     "It's diverse, so you don't have to stick to the one (skirt option)."  

School principal Simon Done said a lot of thought had gone into the gender-neutral uniform change.    

"The change is about giving the students pride in their school, themselves and their uniform," Mr Done said.    

"The expectation is for the students to wear it (the new uniform) at least once a week."  

 The school's uniform has gone through many changes in the last 135 years.    

The school's colours, blue and brown, are the same colours used by the 47th battalion, who fought at Gallipoli in the First World War.  

  Mr Done said the new uniforms were more expensive than the current ones, but the school's uniform providers would hold "discount days" for parents.    

The current uniform is expected to be phased out by the start of the school year in 2017.