Elite private school is accused of 'body-shaming' young female students for telling them to 'cover their shoulders' when they attend their end-of-year disco
- St Michael's Grammar School has been accused of body shaming school girls
- Parents have slammed the college for asking students to 'cover their shoulders'
- Invite to Year 6 disco asked students to cover shoulders & wear close toe shoes
- The school insists rule is in place for both boys & girls, part of a SunSmart policy
An elite Melbourne private school has been accused of body shaming young female students after asking them to 'cover their shoulders' for an end-of-year disco.
Parents from St Michael's Grammar in St Kilda, have asked the school to apologise to female students and to change the dress code for the Year Six disco.
An invitation for the event held on Friday, asks Year Sixers at the $31,836 a year coeducational school to have 'covered shoulders' and wear closed-toe shoes.
St Michael's Grammar in St Kilda (pictured) has been accused of body shaming young female Year Six students
But it was the request for 'covered shoulders' that upset some parents who felt the rule was targeted towards girls.
'They should change the date of the invitation to 1901,' one mother told the Herald Sun.
'How can it be co-ed when they treat the girls differently? We are all so angry. We want them to change their mind and apologise to the girls.'
St Michael's Grammar told Daily Mail Australia the rule was part of its SunSmart policy and applied to both girls and boys.
'All students have been asked to wear closed-toe shoes, appropriate for active dancing,' it said.
It said the event will be held in the afternoon on the school oval where temperatures had exceeded 38 degrees at last years event.
'In keeping with our SunSmart protocols and risk assessment strategy, all students (boys and girls) have been asked to cover their shoulders and will be required to wear a hat, as is the usual practice when students are outside.'
Dress codes in schools are facing renewed pressure to scrap gendered uniform policies which lobbyists have labelled 'archaic' and 'offensive'.
Dress codes in schools are facing renewed pressure to scrap gendered uniform policies (pictured, stock photo)
In February a principal at an all girls high school on Sydney's North Shore apologised after instructing students not to wear 'skimpy' clothing because they could 'compromise the employment' of male staff.
Students and parents at Cheltenham Girls' High School were shocked by the comments of principal Suellen Lawrence made in a video address to students. s.
Lobby group Girls Uniform Agenda point has pointed out the harms dress code policies can have on school girl's physical and formal education.
The group argues girls should have choice when given choice when it comes to school uniforms and encourages school leaders to adopt policies allowing girls to wear shorts or long pants at school.
NSW Department of Education states uniforms should be reviewed every five years and must be the result of discussing the possibilities with the local school community including parents, carers, teachers and students.
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