school crack down on hair colour

[mrsfuzzy]

new school year and problems already! ds is 14 and like a lot of girls her age experiments with her hair, for the first time during the school hols she tried a semi permanent raspberry colour on her red hair [god knows why- ex p let her do it] anyhow i was cool with that as it doesn't look that obvious, as she washes it it becomes less obvious, however school are cracking down on these things make up, uniform etc as they did last year, but she brought a note home yesterday saying to remove the dye or steps will be taken, i wasn't fazed by this as each wash reduces the colour, but how do people 'get away' with flouting the rules about such things one girl has dyed her hair jet black with blue streaks over the hols and mum told me she is not going to remove the colour for anyone, one lad keeps one side of his head shaved in spite of repeated warnings, mum says she ignores them, i accept the school policy that's not the problem but aibu to wonder why it seems the 'easy targets get picked on' to set an example? any thoughts or similar experiences anyone?

[BoneyBackJefferson]

I agree daftdame running a school is walking a tightrope that swings from being to strict to being to liberal, but there is always some movement.

[daftdame]

BoneyBack There will always be some parents who do not support the school even though the school are being reasonable. It doesn't sound like the majority of parents though.

The school might even have to give these pupils some leeway if their parents are sending mixed messages and not showing how to behave appropriately. Isolation instead of sending home for example. Otherwise how will they learn? If you give a disproportionate punishment it would only reinforce their parent's standpoint i.e. the school is being unreasonable.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

The thing is that we had parents complain about the addition of the polo shirt, even though they were told that it was not compulsory to have it.

Even stranger is that as hair cuts are concerned the longer lengths must be tied back and not cover the eyes and any shaved cuts must be blended. no tribal tags or shapes cut in to the hair.

So with an almost unlimited range of hair styles and cuts to have we still have 5 or 6 pupils whose parents allow them to have unsuitable hair styles.

[daftdame]

BoneyBack I would have no problems with that uniform policy.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

Daftdame

I agree that the extreme s of this are "silly", we have black shoe like footwear, this includes Velcro and the trainers that look like shoes.
We have a range of uniform winter is shirt, tie, jumper, trousers.
Summer is the same as winter but with the option of a school polo shirt.
if it gets too hot in a classroom you take the jumper off (no need to ask) if it gets really hot the tie comes off and top buttons undone.

The only clothing that isn't allowed to be worn on school ground is a hoodie and that is because pupils wear try to wear them in the classroom with the hoods up so you can't see their faces.

Some schools adapt whilst some schools don't

[daftdame]

^'unnecessarily' (typo) and 'all'

[daftdame]

BoneyBackjefferson Definition of a 'silly rule', well you would have to consult with the whole school community to help with the definition of this. The school should serve it's community, not show no mercy and rule through fear.

I agree the definition is open to interpretation. I can only refer to precedent, like rules concerning no Velcro shoes which necessarily singles out children with fine motor skill difficulties. Or having to wear the blazers in a heat wave, at al times. Or only being allowed to by an entire (overpriced) uniform, all items with logos, from one uniform supplier. Or operating a 'zero tolerance' approach.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

ljny
"because it's easier to enforce petty rules than to truly engage and educate your students."

This makes me think that you haven't tried to do either of them.

daftdame
What is a silly rule though?

Several pupils where I work are trying to get shorts put on the summer uniform, If it is ever allowed there will be a specification in place as too the type and length of shorts, otherwise we will get everything from 3/4 length trousers to hot pants and cycling shorts.

[ljny]

If uniforms and hair colour are so essential to preparing for professional jobs, then why isn't it a requirement at university? Neither Oxford nor Cambridge gives a toss about this nonsence.

A quality institution that truly cares about education rarely bothers about such trivia.

This is the province of the many insecure schools trying to turn out conformists because it's easier to enforce petty rules than to truly engage and educate your students.

[daftdame]

Shame.

[ilovesooty]

And "challenging ill advised policies"? Professional suicide.

[ilovesooty]

I've never taught in a school where I wanted to register concerns about uniform with SMT, other that in my last place I'd have been grateful if they'd done their job properly and ensured that discipline including uniform was consistently applied so that I could get on with teaching. As a HODthere I had more important matters than uniform to spend time on. The discipline and application of it was a joke. And to b3e honest expressing concerns about anything to SMT there got you into more trouble than it was worth.

As I said, in my previous school in a pastoral role discipline and uniform worked better anyway.

[daftdame]

Surely teachers engage with the SMT though, it is their professional duty to challenge ill advised policies. Register their concerns at least...

[ilovesooty]

But the teachers don't make the rules, do they? As I said before, if SMT want to put rules in place, they should ensure that there are clear channels for implementing them. Individual teachers should know that pupils should expect to have to comply without having to waste lesson time getting into discussion about it.

[daftdame]

ilovesooty the teachers would not have to get involved if there were no 'silly' rules...

[ilovesooty]

I wouldn't necessarily say that unform=better results. They do ok in many european countries without it. However, I don't see why teachers should "assert themselves" either. If you go and teach in a school with uniform rules you accept that it is your job to encourage the application of those rules - with, as I said previously, the proviso that subject teachers should be free to get on with the business of teaching with uniform compliance being dealt with by senior staff.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

"most places of work don't have a uniform actually."

Pretty much every place that I see has a uniform of sorts.

nurses still wear uniforms.
supermarkets have polo shirts.
Chefs wear checks
Factories boiler suits
Holiday camps
the list goes on.

[thebody]

to add my son is in the navy and happy to wear a uniform.

[thebody]

most places of work don't have a uniform actually.

those that do are fact based as in tying hair up in food prep areas and that's sensible.

I trained as a nurse. in 1982 and obviously had the ridiculous cap belt and black tightes. now gone.

time schools caught up really.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

jamdonut
"i wish I understood why secondary schools don't allow children to take their sweatshirts/jumpers of when they grt hot"

It depends on the school.

thebody
"no rules should be only implemented on fact based research. that's what professionals do."

I can't think of many uniforms that are based on fact based evidence. Most places of work have some sort of uniform, polo shirts, checks, boilersuits and coveralls.

If your child got a job a supermarket and was fired for refusing to wear the uniform would you complain to the manager?

[thebody]

no rules should be only implemented on fact based research. that's what professionals do.

not good enough.so why do schools persist on carrying out rules re uniform that have no research based proof at all.?

better results do not = uniform

so why do teachers not assert themselves. other professionals do.

[jamdonut]

i wish I understood why secondary schools don't allow children to take their sweatshirts/jumpers of when they grt hot, particularly as their polo shirts have the school logo ( at my children's school) on? It seems to be a standard rule, but I don't understand why? In our primary school children are allowed to take their jumpers off if they are feeling warm, so long as they put them in their drawers,and don't tie them round their waist. This is to (a) stop them looking untidy and (b) stop them fiddling with them instead of concentrating on what is going on. But I can't understand why teenagers can't be allowed to make that choice. It seems nuts!

[kali110]

No but rules are rules. Its hardly going to help our kids is it, saying its ok not to follow little rules.it wont help them in the work place.

[thebody]

but why? uniform does not = better results.

[ilovesooty]

I forgot: black jumper (no sweatshirts) with school logo, but this could be sewn/stuck on to a standard v-necked jumper purchased anywhere.