It’s a safety rule: Lyceum #109 principal explains why she bans shorts at school
3 October 20:11
on September 2, a scandal erupted on social media over the ban on children wearing shorts to school by the principal of Kyiv Lyceum #109, Vitalia Polyakova. Some people supported the principal’s position, others criticized her.
In an interview with the "Komersant Ukrainian" YouTube channel, Vitalia Polyakova, the principal of Kyiv Lyceum #109, explained why she made this decision and whether her position on the school dress code has changed since the incident.
According to the principal, it was not about “fashion” or “dress code,” but about the basic safety of schoolchildren. In a time of war and constant air raids, students must be dressed in a way that makes it comfortable and safe for them to take shelter in case of danger.
“During the day, alarms sound, children go down to the basement. And the clothes, in particular the pants, should be such that they can sit comfortably in the shelter. This is the first thing.
Secondly, no one knows what can happen. We had cases when shrapnel flew into the school grounds and was also hot. It was good that it was not a building, but just a yard. No one was hurt, but still. In this case, clothes can protect you a bit.
That’s why I think it’s advisable to go to school today in something that covers your body,” she explained.
Poliakova emphasized that her position was based solely on caring for children.
However, not all parents understood her.
“Some agreed with me right away, some didn’t. They didn’t care. They just wanted a scandal, I guess. But I’m not offended by them,” she says.
At the same time, she says, most of her colleagues, family and friends supported her decision.
“I was very pleased when my former students called or wrote to me, parents of students with whom I hadn’t seen for 10 years. Well, some called and made fun of me, and some supported me in different ways,” the principal said.
If the situation were to happen again, Polyakova is convinced that she would make the same decision.
“I would have done the same thing. Perhaps I would not have said it as harshly as it was written about everywhere, but in principle, my approach would have remained the same,” she summarized.
Vitaliia Poliakova is the director of Taras Shevchenko Lyceum #109 in Kyiv, located in the Pechersk district of the capital. She is also a PhD in Psychology (2018), a senior researcher at the Laboratory of Psychodiagnostics and Scientific and Psychological Information at the H.S. Kostiuk Institute of Psychology of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine.
on September 2, 2025, Polyakova found herself at the center of a public outcry when she did not allow students to attend class because they were wearing shorts. This incident became a topic of discussion in the media and among the parent community.
Vitaliya Polyakova is currently on vacation and is expected to return to work after providing appropriate explanations in accordance with the law.
