Twitter users have accused M&S of sexism after noticing that their school uniform labels suggest that certain features on the garment make them 'less work for mum'.
Rebecca Collinson flagged up the issue during a conversation about the company, stating that they were 'culturally stuck in a bygone era'.
'Also evident on pack copy spotted yesterday on school trousers,' she noted. 'Less work for mum'.
The tweet has sparked major debate amongst parents, with some declaring that they're not bothered by the suggestion that mothers typically take care of household chores like laundry.
'I have done the washing for some 18 weeks or so in the house, but I don't have an issue with the label saying 'mum'', one user wrote, while another added: 'M&S labels read 'less work for mum' and political correctness idiots call it #sexism. It's not. Another example of pc world gone mad.'
'more nutty pc brigade moaning about M&S saying less work for mum when advertising school uniform I can't take it anymore 😩' a third chimed in.
However, there were many others who took offence to the generic statement, and the social group Fathers for Justice have even stated that they will campaign against the 'prehistoric' advertising.
'It is disappointing to see this from a flagship retailer,' said founder Matt O'Connor.
'There is this mentality among high-street stores that it's only women who shop for children. It is an insult and we'll follow this with a campaign.
'It should say 'mums and dads' or 'parents'. It is like 'Mothercare' – where is 'Fathercare'? It really irritates fathers, but also instils children with bad lessons about stereotypes, which is irresponsible.'
A spokesperson for M&S said of the debate: 'It was never our intention to offend parents. In fact, we had already changed our packaging for the new range, which will be available from May.'
