A 17-year-old female student reports that her school organized a trip to a city games festival specifically for her final-year class. The trip had about 40 available spots, even though the class size was only around 20 people in total, suggesting plenty of room for everyone.
However, the teachers informed the five girls in the class that they were not allowed to attend, despite room being available. Instead, the spots were given to boys from the year below. The stated reason for the exclusion was a previous, separate trip the girls attended a year ago, leading the original poster to feel this decision is unfair and discriminatory, causing her to doubt whether she should challenge the ruling.
AITA for thinking it’s sexist that girls in our computing class can’t attend a school trip?
As renowned researcher Dr. Brené Brown explains, ‘Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.’ While this quote primarily addresses personal boundaries, it relates here to institutional boundaries and fairness, suggesting that an equitable system should allow for the simultaneous flourishing of all participants without one group’s inclusion necessitating another’s exclusion.
The school’s justification—citing a previous, self-organized women’s event as a reason to exclude girls from a general class trip—suggests a failure in administrative logic and potentially demonstrates implicit bias. The students, especially those active in computing, have a valid expectation of equal access to community engagement opportunities relevant to their studies. Excluding them based on gender, especially when space is abundant, undermines the principle of merit and equal educational access, causing understandable feelings of resentment and unfairness.
The original poster’s desire to challenge the decision is appropriate given the apparent discriminatory nature of the exclusion. To handle similar situations constructively in the future, students should seek formal documentation of the school’s policy regarding class trips and, if necessary, escalate concerns through formal student representation or parental advocacy channels, focusing on clear evidence of inequitable resource allocation rather than purely emotional appeal.
AFTER THIS STORY DROPPED, REDDIT WENT INTO MELTDOWN MODE – CHECK OUT WHAT PEOPLE SAID.
The original poster is feeling frustrated and discriminated against because she and the other four girls in her computing class are being excluded from a school-sanctioned, relevant opportunity despite having ample space and being active participants in the subject.
The central conflict is between the school’s decision to enforce unequal access based on past unrelated events versus the principle of equal opportunity for all students in the class regarding a professional/interest-based event. Is the original poster wrong for wanting to actively challenge this exclusion?
