A WORRIED parent has called for Balshaw's High School in Leyland to change its 'outdated' policy of banning girls from wearing trousers for school.

The mum, who didn't want to be named, complained to the Citizen that her daughter constantly comes home from school in the freezing weather with chapped knees and stinging legs. And she has appealed to the school to introduce equality and allow girls to wear trousers.

She said: "Like many parents I do not have a car to take my children to school so they must walk. Girls are not immune to the cold, even with tights on, so come on Balshaw's - catch up with the rest of the schools in Leyland and let them wear trousers."

Balshaw pupils Pam Nickson, 15, and Emma Wood, 14, said wearing skirts even in the cold weather didn't particularly bother them.

Pam said: "The issue of girls wearing trousers often comes up at committee meetings but nothing ever seems to get done about it."

But Stephanie Demack, 16, said: "If the trousers looked smart and were a suitable style I think they would be alright."

And Jo Venn, Balshaw's headteacher, defended the school's no trousers policy. She said they had already addressed the issue of trousers for girls at the school pastoral committees and at the school council meetings.

She added: "Out of the 920 pupils we have, we have only had one request from a pupil to wear trousers.

"Our aim is to have smart and tidy school uniforms."

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