To not get schools issue with dyed hair?

[fitforflighting]

I suspect I may get flamed for this but I genuinely do not get it.
They have a rule against earrings including sleepers. That I get especially with younger children or in sports were children can end up getting them at worst ripped out.

I can kind of even get extreme haircuts with big shaved stars or strange styles that look unprofessional and might not be allowed by adults in a professional work place.

But this week and last term several of senior age children who had dyed hair brown/red/dark purple etc were sent home from school to re dye or put in isolation by teachers with errr brown/red/purple dyed hair! One of the children's teacher has bright purple hair. It does not make her any less of a English teacher or lesson her professionalism in school I don't reckon so what is the problem for teens?

I've never understood this. I only left school eight years ago but I had either jet black or postbox red hair, I had a lip piercing, stretched ears and I wore black Converse instead of "proper" shoes. I was far from the only one who looked like this and nobody batted an eye.

I got on with my school work, I got decent grades and I have a good job/flat/fiance/car/dog so haven't suffered for it as an adult!

I think most school uniform rules are utterly pointless, and the amount of time schools waste in enforcing them is ridiculous. If it doesn't impinge on health and safety or learning, it ought to be acceptable. People who suggest that in some way this helps with discipline and results can never explain the schools that get excellent results and exercise effective discipline without requiring a uniform.

I like to see young people expressing themselves. I remember how irritated I was, years ago, when a cashier at my favorite grocery store told me that not only was he not allowed to wear any earrings at work, but also was told to cover up his ear hole with a band-aid! Now at that same store there are staff with earrings, tattoos, various hair colors, etc. It is all for the good, in my mind.

I guess I associate it with freedom of expression in general, which probably should be encouraged in schools.

I like schools with high standards of discipline and dress. If you don't like or agree with the rules don't send your child to that school.

Do explain how that works in areas where most of the schools are over-subscribed.

I used to wear army boots with long johns under big pink skirts to school back in the 1980s, and my friends were likewise very unusually dressed/styled, but we are all now much more mundane in appearance, and have jobs as university faculty, doctors, lawyers, etc. The only one of my friends who dresses very interestingly still works at Twitter.

I think you need to send your child to a different school. One that reflects your family ethos .

Much like the people who send their child to a Jewish school then complain that they are not allowed ham sandwiches .

For one I was not given a choice of schools, we were assigned this one and I will ensure that my children DO stick to the rules of the school now they are there. I just think children missing a whole day of proper lessons to sit in isolation for dyeing their hair a different colour is a bit pointless.

bigsnugglebunny we have the same thing wiith the socks! Yep the same socks no one can ever see because they are hidden under trousers....

Tbh the idea of choosing a school according to the rules/family ethos is making me smile. It's hard enough to find a school within your catchment area that is actually decent for your child (as in decent for that child. You can get a school that is good with children with SN and crap with the high ability ones etc etc). So as long as the rules aren't completely crazy, I will accept them.
It doesn't mean that they are right or add anything to the school experience or shouldn't be changed iyswim. Which is what the OP was talking about.
I just hate this mantra of 'if you don't like it, just change school/go away'. 1- you don't always have a choice and 2- sometimes the right way is to change whatever is happening instead.

I hope to send DC to school/s without such uptight uniform rules. Bit of nail varnish on a 14 year olds fingernails never caused a class to fail their exams.

gruntled there are also under-subscribed schools. Maybe they are the ones without such strict rules.

Those who disagree with strict uniform rules in schools, how do you feel about the same rules in the armed forces? My dd has just started as an RAF cadet, as expected there are strict rules about uniform, hair, boots have to be clean and polished and so on.

Very few people who live in towns and cities genuinely don't have a choice. They may not like the other choices, but that's not the same thing. Are there really no other schools within an hours travelling distance of your home ?

Lost of people choose the school for their results / behaviour/ ethos and then argue that the rules should not apply to their special snowflake but just to the other less special children in the school.

Personally I choose to send my children to schools that allow jewellery, dyed hair and nail polish .

The rules apply to pupils, not teachers, however, it would be nice if teachers set an example re not having dyed hair or piercings etc
Some teachers are scruffy too.

Dancergirl-One thing that has always chapped my ass about the rules in the armed forces is the sexism. It seems unfair that women can wear long hair (tied up, I guess), but men's hair must remain short.

I also don't like it when the armed forces insist that women wear skirts, like in formal settings. I am not sure if this still happens in the UK, though.

Out of interest have there been scientific, peer reviewed, studies proving that students with silly coloured hair either do less well than their more conservative looking peers or that they cause a distraction and disrupt learning?

I'm not convinced that it's to get students used to rules and uniforms when they enter the workplace. All schools need to do is tell them that when they get a job they will most likely have to wear what their employers seem appropriate rather than exactly what they want. Which may mean a suit for an office job, a uniform for a nationwde business or fatigues in army. That they will have to adhere to those rules or not have the job for long.

I've got a solution...why don't the schools give students identical wigs so they can have their hair whatever colour they want out of school but can hide the offensive pink/blue/purple/wrong shade of bloody brown during school hours. Seems fair to me

"Those who disagree with strict uniform rules in schools, how do you feel about the same rules in the armed forces?"

Well as long as there is no conscription, people get a choose about whether they want to join the army, whereas children get no choice at all.

I'm a bit concerned that some people are so anxious for their children to grow up to blindly follow rules, and think that this is the way to go about it.
And I don't really think that external things express one's individuality, but dress and hair colour can be a harmless form of rebellion.

it's odd that schools seem to be getting more strict about personal appearance and uniforms at the same time as the general workplace is becoming more relaxed about such things. I'm a senior civil servant and am one of the few blokes in our office that always wear a suit and tie (my preference) - and the women wear all manner of things.

It's part of the effort to knock all creativity and exceptionalism out of them so they won't balk at the petty rules they get in the workplace. To be fair I don't think most headteachers really care. But Ofstead like strict uniform policies and some governing boards are very concerned about the "look" of students, as though what the students do for the school is more important than what the school does for the students.

Also - schools absolutely can set the same sorts of uniform rules for their teachers as they do for their students. Some would not allow unnatural hair colours for staff. Others are more concerned (possibly especially with the teacher recruiting crisis) with getting teachers who can teach well. If only the government had the same pragmatic attitude towards our children.

whereas children get no choice at all

For goodness sake, people will start saying wearing uniform affects children's human rights soon.

They are at school for what, 39 weeks of the year, 9-3.30pm? There is plenty of out of school time for them to express themselves.

I don't insist on correct uniform now dd is a teenager, though of course I make sure she has it.
What I do tell her is that if she doesn't wear it and is in trouble then I will be backing up the school.

We're so ridiculous about uniform in this country. It's a wonder other countries without these rules manage to produce productive members of society at all.

Since leaving school I havent once had to wear any kind of uniform or dress in any particular way at work (and obviously not at uni). Presumably these 6th firms are preparing their students to be office drones to the exclusion of anything else? And why don't unis insist on dress codes if they're preparing people for the workplace? Utter bollocks, all of it.

Samantha I have never said I think my child is a 'special snowflake' who should have different rules to anyone else nor have I said I would let them break the rules nor would ask for the rules to be changes so I do not know why you feel the need to be so condescending.

I said I did not get the issue.

Many schools outside the UK have no uniform and no hair rules and achieve very well. Often better than here.
Son UK well achieving secondaries do too so I disagree that the ones without such rules are the undersubscribed ones no one wants.

And no when you have a child with special needs you don't really have the same choice other than to pick one with sn provision to meet their needs.

I worry they are making such a huge forbidden deal out of it. One of mine who has SN and no interest in fashion or what other kids do or kids in general but is obsessed with the idea of hair dye because they go on and on about it all the time. I honestly do not think she would be the slightest bit interested otherwise.

Teachers are adults and as such have certain privileges, such as the right to choose their hair colour. Pupils are not adults or teachers, so I don't think they should be treated exactly the same. Most schools allow pupils to dye their hair natural colours, but not pink/blue etc. It's all part of getting used to following rules, I believe. A lot of students may go into professions where they are not allowed pink hair for eg, and students should be used to that. Strict dress codes may well be a part of the child's future life so they need to get used to it, I think.