Australian high school allows all pupils to wear boy or girl uniforms

An Australian high school has faced criticism for allowing students to wear boy or girl uniforms regardless of their gender.

The Newtown High School of Performing Arts in Sydney changed its policy last week, allowing students to "wear any part of the available uniform options", the New South Wales state education department said.

It comes after the school signed up to a scheme advocating allowing pupils to cross-dress.

Some parents and students praised the move as a boost for transgender pupils, who previously needed parental approval and a psychologist's report to gain the school's permission to cross-dress.

However, it was criticised by conservative advocacy group the Australian Christian Lobby, whose spokesman Wendy Francis said: "It's a deeper problem than just boys choosing to wear a girl's skirt to school. What they're trying to do in schools is make boys' and girls' gender disappear."

Newtown High is one of almost 500 schools to sign up to the Safe Schools Coalition Australia, which aims to prevent bullying of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

The school is not the only one in the New South Wales area to adopt the uniform policy, although it is not known exactly how many have.

Newtown High declined to comment on the new policy.

Maya Saric, who has two children aged 15 and 13 at Newtown High, said the change was progressive and responsive to students' needs.

Maya said: "All the parents I mentioned it to didn't bat an eyelid and thought it was perfectly reasonable."

Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull has ordered a review of funding to the Safe Schools programme.

Safe Schools Coalition Australia said it welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact it has had.

"This programme was developed in response to requests from Australian teachers and principals looking for advice and resources to better support the diversity and well-being of their students and create safe learning environments," Safe Schools said in a statement.

"All students, staff and families deserve to feel safe, included and valued at school. Ensuring the well-being of all students and their equal access to education is what this program is all about."