Girls to be given legal right to wear trousers in Northern Ireland schools

Students and politicians have been welcoming a change in legislation that will mean girls in Northern Ireland are to be given the legal right to wear trousers in school.

Revising guidelines, Education Minister Paul Givan said that, from the start of the 2027/2028 academic year, schools will be banned from prohibiting girls wearing trousers.

Year 13 pupil Connie Rogers has welcomed the change saying "girls should be able to wear trousers" if they want to.

"They can be a lot warmer and more comfortable," the 16-year-old student said.

Connie, who has been wearing trousers to school for a number of years now, is also the president of the Secondary Students' Union of Northern Ireland.

"I really enjoyed wearing them," she said, adding: "especially in the winter months".

"I'm so happy that there's now legislation that all girls will be able to."

The change has also been welcomed by Niamh Murray, Vice Principal of Craigavon Integrated College in County Armagh.

She told the BBC's Evening Extra programme that students have "always" had the choice to wear trousers since the school transitioned to integrated status.

"We want them to feel really confident in what they're wearing, to look smart and I think I suppose we want to have a positive impact on their attitude to school and their learning," she said.

"We really welcome the opportunity for our girls to express their individuality and I suppose in a way to make them feel much more confident about their appearance in school."

Murray estimates that "about 50%" of girls who attend Craigavon Integrated College currently choose to wear trousers to school on a regular basis.

"It's really helpful for our girls in the colder winter months because a lot of our children will walk to school, so having that flexibility I think is really important.

"It's also in line with the period dignity recommendations, so a lot of our girls feel much more confident having that flexibility to wear trousers when they want," she added.