THE parents of some girls at Joseph Rowntree School have taken up arms in defence of their daughters’ right to wear tight trousers. Our sympathies, however, remain firmly with the school’s headteacher.

As we reported yesterday, several girls wearing trousers which didn’t conform to the school’s uniform standards were excluded from classes and taught in isolation. Today, one mother claims her daughter was sent home. Other parents have complained that being put in isolation could be harming their daughters’ exam preparations.

No one wants to see children excluded from classes. But school uniforms are a good thing. Learning discipline is an important part of preparation for adult life. The smartness of a school uniform is part of that.

By ensuring that all children and teenagers wear the same clothes, a uniform also helps ensure youngsters whose parents don’t want or can’t afford to buy the latest fashions are not picked on.

Headteacher Richard Crane has been bending over backwards in his attempts to enforce the school’s uniform policy in a way that won’t cause problems for parents or pupils.

The school has categorically denied sending any children home. And Mr Crane says he gave parents plenty of notice that the school’s uniform code - which isn’t new - was going to be more strictly enforced.

Letters were sent out in advance, and notices were put on the school’s website and read out at assembly. The school even bought trousers to give to students whose parents hadn’t been able to buy replacements in time.

It is hard to know what more Mr Crane could have done. Every school has the right to set standards, and it is very important that parents show their support for the school’s authority by encouraging their children to fall in line.