TEENS at a Torrevieja high school have staged a peaceful protest over centre rules banning them from wearing shorts.
Around 40 girls pointedly wore shorts on the same day to show their discontent for what they call 'sexist' regulations – boys are allowed to wear shorts, but girls are not, and although girls are permitted to wear strappy tops, boys have been banned from doing so.
Of the 40 pupils who joined the 'shorts protest', around 25 were taken en masse into the library and given stern warnings about complying with school rules.
In response, they became even more determined in their cause: by yesterday (Monday), over 70 girls wore shorts to class.
Very few schools in Spain have uniforms, except for some private – mainly bilingual or international – centres and a small handful who have piloted them in infants', meaning kids wear their everyday clothing to class.
Dress codes are far more relaxed than in the UK, where jewellery is normally limited to stud earrings, a watch and a discreet bracelet, if permitted at all, and skirts must be of a requisite length.
The Torrevigía secondary school in the south of the province of Alicante is, therefore, unusual in banning shorts for girls and vest tops for boys.
It also forbids any type of garment or accessory which 'covers the head, in full or in part', which would automatically preclude Muslim girls from wearing a hijab.
The protesting pupils point out that they have to suffer sweltering temperatures in class and should be allowed to dress accordingly.
Schools in the Comunidad Valenciana, on Spain's east coast started back on September 10, when cooler temperatures, torrential rain and storms made what is gradually becoming the hottest month in the year for the area more bearable – but the last few days have seen the mercury sit at around 31ºC, and most of theregion's classrooms do not have air-conditioning.
A few years ago, pupils started back at school on or around September 3, when thermometers were still registering figures in the high 30s.
Some teachers opted to take class outside, brought in fans from home and handed out bottled water and iced lollies at their own expense, and numerous protests were staged in playgrounds.
More recently, the new term start date has been put back because of the heat.
Photograph by pupils at Torrevieja's Torrevigía high school
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