A prestigious private school in Victoria has been labelled sexist after it sought to give it’s female students lessons in deportment which included teaching them how to walk in high heels.

Girton Grammar introduced a modern etiquette lesson to VCE students as part of a weekly workshop to prepare them for life after school. The aim was to teach skills in “deportment and presentation skills, including how to manage wearing high heels” in a ­female-only session.

Many students were outraged when they were told to bring high heels to school for the lessons and urged the principal to do away with the ‘demeaning and sexist’ lessons altogether.

In an anonymous letter to the Herald Sun a group of disgusted students voiced their opinions on the archaic lessons.

“This is not 1950, this is 2017,” they said. “On the one hand, we are being expected to excel at STEM subjects alongside the boys. On the other, we are being asked to bring in high heels so that we can learn to work in them. It is demeaning and sexist.”

Principal Matthew ­Maruff said the modern etiquette workshop was designed to give students expert information on “self-conduct in social and work environments”.

“At all times, we encourage our students to speak out respectfully on any issue that concerns them,” he said. “In this instance, we were very glad that two students let us know that they felt uncomfortable being asked to bring high heels to school as part of the modern etiquette session. Several students did elect to seek advice related to wearing high heels after the session and the school was happy to support these students in that choice.”

This is not the first time the elite Bendigo school has found itself in hot water. Last year an openly gay student was forbidden from attending the school’s Foundation Day celebrations as her outfit was deemed “inappropriate.” The student was wearing a white shirt, black bow tie, designer jacket and black leather pants.

What do you think of the idea of a deportment class for female students? I remember when I was in high school all girls did home economics, which included knitting and sewing while the boys picked up woodwork and metal craft classes. Pretty sure that would never fly now!

Images: Google images