WIBU here, the HT or his students and their parents?

[RidersOnTheStorm]

Friend's DS is 13. He is at a school with a uniform policy which he always complies with. He also has long hair which was not against the school's uniform policy when he joined.

New HT this term who is bringing in a new uniform from September (blazers FFS - back to the 50s). He has also been making noises about the boys with long hair. It's a Health and Safety issue, he says, and is stopping them in the corridor and telling them they should cut their hair in quite a bullying manner. Girls are still allowed to have long hair and nothing is said to them.

Friend's DS - M - says he will not cut his hair and several of his friends are of the same mind. Their parents are backing their stance. M wants his mother to write a letter to the HT telling him to stop harassing him about his hair because he won't be cutting it.

To me it seems very unfair to introduce a new policy and expect those already there to comply - but I put it to the MN jury. WIBU.

YABU

New HT is there to impose some discipline on the school, uniform policy is part of that. It's the HT's prerogative to set and enforce their rules.

If you have strong feelings against school uniform then why send your child to a school "with a uniform policy" which you state in your op?

It's the HT's prerogative to set and enforce their rules ..as long as they apply to both boys and girls.

Yup, agree Dr Dre

The heads being a twonk...DS's school said he had to tie his hair back, which he didnt want so he has it cut to shoulder length. Thing is they dont seem to insist the girls do the same

This happened at our local Community College. The new uniform (blazers, shirts and ties) did seem to bring about an improvement in behaviour - certainly when the pupils came out of school and were wandering about town on their way home. The hair thing was contested by a lot of parents, many of whom had boys and girls in school with hair the same length. They didn't win and the boys generally got their hair cut to shoulder length. This was some years ago though, so I hope things have changed a bit since.

If girls are allowed long hair then so should boys be.

If it's a H&S risk for boys to have long hair, then why is it not for girls?
Does the Head not care about the girls being at risk as much as he care about the boys being at risk?
Perhaps he thinks more boys bend over Bunsen burners than girls? Does he expect girls to study safe subjects like sewing and art while boys study dangerous chemistry?
Perhaps he thinks boys fight more than girls, and may have their hair ripped out? Has he seen what girls do when they gang up on each other?

How are they silly and impractical?

Because they're stiff and uncomfortable, particularly with schools that obsess about them being worn whatever the weather. When teenagers stuff the pockets with all their rubbish, they also look very scruffy. As for the advantages of having pockets, kids in schools with no blazers manage perfectly well and IME actually lose less because they don't have stuff falling out of their pockets.

All long hair should be tied back, for boys and girls. Headteacher is bu to only worry about boys long hair

I wore a blazer and tie to school for five years, as did every kid in my town. Never had a problem with it, it was useful to keep everything in the pockets and meant I didn't bother with a coat. It lasted well too, expensive initially but washed termly (!!) and I think I had 2 my entire time in school

I wouldn't mind a blazer uniform if I worked somewhere where appearance mattered, as long as I could take it off when too hot. But in my current job I never meet customers, clients or business partners, so smart casual is sufficient.

Next years argument will be about the wearing of the Blazers in hot weather. Be prepared.

I do like Arf's idea about asking for a copy of the risk assessment, and actually I don't think it's childish. The head needs to be pushed into explaining his assertion that long hair on boys but not girls has H&S implications.

It's both sexist and unenforceable. Get together with other parents who agree and write to the governors. They'll be less than thrilled to have angry parents on their hands just a few weeks into the head's tenure. If that doesn't work (although I'm betting it will) the local press will love it.

Rumour had it in my school that a headmaster allegedly said to a long-haired pupil "Why did God invent scissors?".

Perhaps this HT has a personal dislike of boys with long hair, like Miss Trunchbull. Or perhaps he doesn't have much hair left himself and is jealously hitting back in the only way he can. The way British schools are so obsessed with uniform and rules is why I am glad I am not at school any more.

More seriously though, as long hair was not against the school policy when said pupil joined in the first place, before this HT took over, I would say this is perfectly reasonable justification for lads already there to be long-haired. Every physics class needs a long-haired pupil to demonstrate the wonders of the Van de Graff generator! (Or are they now too dangerous for H&S?) And, contrary to popular belief, long hair does not always grow back to the same length when it is cut. (I know somebody whose parents made her cut her long hair as a teenager, and it never grew back to the same length; it's one reason she is non-contact with them.)

New HT's are often keen to stamp their authority on their domain as soon as they arrive, to show everyone who's boss, and uniform is an easy way for them to do so. It might be that he is testing the reaction, so that he can appear reasonable by withdrawing it later.

It seems that every new head teacher adopts precisely the same approach:

1. Put all the children back in blazers.
2. Enforce a rigid dress code. (Bonus points for sending home a boy with long hair.)
3. Aggressively game the exam system to temporarily improve the school's league table position.
4. Bully out a few old gimmers who don't share the new 'vision' re fiddling the exams.
5. Become an executive head or inspector or consultant before anyone realises you're full of it.

If you have strong feelings against school uniform then why send your child to a school "with a uniform policy" which you state in your op?

FFS

If you'd bothered to read the OP and my later reply you'd know it isn't my DC and that I sent my DCs to a non-uniform school.

Hair rule is ridiculous.

I also disagree with strict uniforms on children. It's bad enough that a lot of men are forced to wear suits to work as adults but I strongly object with kids doing it. They are uncomfortable, hot and such a pain in the ass to keep laundered. Plus they restrict play and this is a time when we need our children to be more active, not less!

I have children in 3 schools 2 uses Blazers 1 not. I by FAR prefer the Blazers. Both kids are warm in winter and cool in summer. They was fine and just drip dry. I think they look really smart. The jumper dd2 uses was replacing a sweatshirt. Both loos/looked frumpy are hard to clean needs ironing. Dd2 is a size 12 with the sweatshirt on she looked a 18 with the jumper a size 16 they are so unflattering.

Personally I think Blazers are practical and both my kids are certainly comfortable In theirs as they don't always come off at Home after school.

Imo you are bu over the Blazers. Simply need to accept not everyone share your dislike of them.

With regards to the the hair. I think a well worded letter from parents of boys with long hair will silence the head teacher who is being very unreasonable here.

It was St Paul who said that men should have short hair. My DS is 4.5 and hasn't chosen a religion yet, he may never do so. People should be allowed to have whatever length hair they like.

Enkopkaffetak Both kids are warm in winter and cool in summer.

Seriously? The reason myself and school friends hated blazers was largely due to the opposite problem. A jumper is warm, it covers you up. A blazer has a massive gap around the chest and neck - it is colder.

Plus made of horrible artifical fabric so too hot in the summer.

I didn't read your op properly.

To make a minor correction my previous point, your friends ds is being U. It still stands that the HT is entitled to set the rules they deem to be appropriate to the school and it's community, and the students are obliged to comply with them. I would also say that the parents should support the HT and not back their whiny children.

My DD loves her blazer. She's 13 It's light and has loads of pockets for all her stuff.
Given that I can't get her to wear a coat or jacket most of the time it's great.

I wonder if people moaning about Blazers have actually tied on light modern washable one? My DDs last school had a wool blazer and that looked lovely but was a pain in the arse.

Girls are allowed long hair but it has to be tied back firmly and that's enforced strictly.

Blazers - especially ones made of cheap looking fabrics seem suddenly very popular with headteachers. They look awful, most teenagers wear ones too large and they soon are damaged with ink stains. In the town I'm in it's not helping things that the two schools who have suddenly embraced them are places that were put in special measures. Much like becoming an academy in the nearby city, changing to blazers advertises a failed school here.

Every physics class needs a long-haired pupil to demonstrate the wonders of the Van de Graff generator!

My school had a strict uniform policy, but was fine with lads with long hair. We had a physics TEACHER with long hair (who also used to ride in on a motorbike). :D

I'd totally fight against any gender discrimination at school. Fair enough if the new uniform policy said that girls also had to have short hair for H&S reasons, but keeping it just to the boys smacks of "I don't think males should have long hair".

Seriously? The reason myself and school friends hated blazers was largely due to the opposite problem. A jumper is warm, it covers you up. A blazer has a massive gap around the chest and neck - it is colder. Plus made of horrible artificial fabric so too hot in the summer.

This. And the heavy stiff sleeves are a pain.

My DS has sensory issues and struggled even with a long sleeved jumper. He would never have been able to cope with a blazer.

If it is a health and safety issue it should be the boys, girls and the staff too?

Totally agree with you about both hair and blazers.

Sadly wasting time on changing uniform/appearance seems to be item 1 in the 'New HT's Handbook'. It all stems back to some really good HTs back several years ago turning round some really under-performing schools. They did this by good management and good practice. Unfortunately as part of the school re-branding they introduced new uniforms. Of course that is what was picked up on in the press etc. Now, new HTs feel the need to make their mark by changing how students look. Whether they bring with them the rather more relevant and useful good management and good practice is a moot point.