Dossier Actividad de clase Luz

A Cambridgeshire boy wore a skirt to school in a protest against what he said was "discrimination".

Chris Whitehead, 12, was angry because the rules at Impington Village College, near Cambridge, did not allow boys to wear shorts in hot weather.

The year 8 pupil said he researched the school policy, found a loophole in the rules and went to school in a skirt.

Following his demonstration, the school has promised to revise the policy later in the year.

'Uniform policy'

Chris said: "There has been a bit of teasing but I don't mind if people laugh at me, if I feel I am doing something that is good. I think people agree with me and I hope something will change." He added: "I looked up the uniform policy, it doesn't say girls have to be the ones wearing skirts, so I used this to my advantage. It was a peaceful protest."

Some of his friends at the school said it was an unusual thing to see but a brave thing to do. A school spokeswoman said that she admired his independence and individuality.

The boy’s father, Brian Whitehead, said: "We are proud of him. We asked him if he was sure of what he was going to do. But he's the sort of boy who just shrugs his shoulders and gets on with it."

Chris told the BBC that he wanted to go into politics in the future, starting with the House of Commons.

Since the news appeared in the national press Chris has generated a lot of interest on the social networking site Twitter. TV presenter Phillip Schofield tweeted: "Well done 12-year-old Chris Whitehead protesting that at his school, in the summer, girls can wear skirts, but boys can't wear shorts.

ACTIVITIES

Warm-up activity

Discuss in pairs the following questions:

Do you think the way you dress has a strong influence on how others perceive you? How important is your appearance to you?

Activity 1

Are these sentences true or false?

1. Chris does not mind if people laugh at him, because he believes he did something good.

2. His friends think that he acted inappropriately because he made a fool of himself.

3. Chris would like to become a politician in the future.

4. This event has generated a great deal of interest on Twitter.

Activity 2

 Answer the following questions:

1. Why does Chris Whitehead think his school uniform policy is discriminatory?

2. What did he do in order to complain about it?

3. Do Chris Whitehead's parents agree with his protest?

4. What kind of impact has his story had in media and public opinion? 

Homework

What do you think about uniform policy? Write a 150 word essay explaining the pros and cons of school uniforms.