To think schools should be concerned with things other than kids haircuts.

[DroningOn]

metro.co.uk/2019/01/20/mum-says-school-is-culturally-biased-after-banning-son-from-playground-over-haircut-8365293/

Sounds like the haircut policy of North Korea.

Do educators really believe this is an appropriate use of time and energy? Time that could be used teaching and developing kids.

@marvellousnightforamooncup if you kids don't have afro or very curly hair it would be deemed acceptable.

I've met adult men who this century have had trouble with immediate managers because due to genetics their hair couldn't conform to the styles they wanted. Oddly senior management and the others involved in recruiting them didn't have an issue with it and neither did the customers. In fact some of the customers - like me - wanted to raise formal complaints against such managers when we worked out what was going on but were discouraged by the individuals concerned.

OP unless you're so rich that your child won't have to adhere to rules in the workplace one day, I think learning to follow rules at school is a wise move, whether you think they're ridiculous or not.

“Streetwise, I'm sure your children are a delight to teach and I'm sure you are a parent who teachers love chatting too.”

Never had an issue.

“OP unless you're so rich that your child won't have to adhere to rules in the workplace one day, I think learning to follow rules at school is a wise move, whether you think they're ridiculous or not.”

Do you have any idea how diverse the modern workplace is? Places like PwC and on’t even have dress codes anymore. Do you think proper businesses in 2019 don’t hire people because of haircuts?

It’s about talent, the war for talent and the age of the millennial. And the direction of travel is one way.

It’s schools who need to catch up with a changed and changing society, not vice versa.

Totally disagree with you Streetwise, and I speak as someone with a pretty successful career.

But feel free to rage against stuff like this if it makes you feel better.

“and I speak as someone with a pretty successful career.”

Oh dear.

I can't see what is wrong with that haircut. It looks neat and tidy, and is out of his face.

The criteria at my school is that it needs to be off their face (nothing more annoying than trying to teach with kids pushing their hair out of their face every ten seconds), and if it is longer than their collar (boys and girls) that it needs to be tied up. This is for neatness and to help prevent the spread of nits.

I was expecting to see an 'extreme hair style....I don't understand how that 'hair could distract from learning'....it is a sensible haircut.

MidniteScribbler
I can't see what is wrong with that haircut. It looks neat and tidy, and is out of his face.

But you have just put forward a rule about hair, and rules about hair are ridiculous.

What's wrong with his hair cut

He.looks very smart.

I know nothing about afro hair so someone else will have to explain if this is a black kid being held to white hair "standards " or not ( I suspect it is)

But he looks absolutely fine. And school are being ridiculous

Our school is strict on hair. Hair doesn't really bother me but I will mention the rules to those who need a reminder. However, the rule is a specific one in terms of allowed grade and only natural colours not a wishy-washy 'distracting'.
I do think it's unnecessary. I had a Britpop style face covering fringe in the 90s and as a sixth former when the rules relaxed I had purple hair. Didn't change my work ethic or my grades.
I know some schools object to the 'peaky blinders' style haircut (v short on sides) and there are potential issues with skin heads. However, I've also taught students with alopecia and students going through chemo. Rules can be 'bent' when students have a 'reason'.

Bloody ridiculous they the parents
Can't just follow rules. We had kids at my senior school, both white, who had shaved bits in their hair style and they were suspended from school TIL it grew back - yes they grumbled but going to the papers is ridiculous - follow the bloody school rules ffs

I think he looks lovely it looks smart. Nowt wrong with that. On a side note his little face looks so happy with it.

School haircut rules are often biased against Afro hair. And I can't see how a short haircut on a five year old detracts from learning.

When did primary schools start with hairstyle rules? Normal for secondary but not heard of it for five year olds before, it's not like the child has that much control over it.

What's wrong with saying you followed rules and have had a successful career. Why the 'oh dear'?

YANBU. I think rules like this are ridiculous.

Haircut looks alright to me, it suits him.

Schools often do make a fuss about hair, my son's was always too long but it suited him.

Yabu. Focus on the important things in life, follow the blooody rules and stop attention seeking with the press. Sticking a picture of your 5 year old in the paper over something like that is potentially damaging to his school career and is basically, naff.

That's a cute kid. He's only 5, he hair isn't getting in his way of learning. They should leave him be.

Yabu. Focus on the important things in life, follow the blooody rules and stop attention seeking with the press. Sticking a picture of your 5 year old in the paper over something like that is potentially damaging to his school career and is basically, naff

What's damaging to his school career is being barred from.school due to racist hair policies.

This isn't the first time there have been stories about black children having difficulties with schools who don't accept their natural hair type . Expecting them.to have to have painful, time consuming, hair damaging procedures to make their hair "acceptable"

Expecting them.to have to have painful, time consuming, hair damaging procedures to make their hair "acceptable"

Err right. Or just not cutting it extremely short!

But you have just put forward a rule about hair, and rules about hair are ridiculous.

Not always. I said that our school expects it out of their face and tied up if it is longer than their collar (the same rule every school I've worked at has had). If you work in certain industries you'll be expected to tie your hair up. You can't be a surgeon and walk into an operating theatre with hair hanging over your face. Certain food industries require it. Find a lab that doesn't require hair to be tied up and usually covered. It's not dictating the style of hair, it's keeping it tidy for practical and safety reasons.

I don’t think anyone is saying it’s ok for someone to have a clearly “extreme” haircut (offensive slogans shaved in, huge blue Mohawk... Ridiculous ones, you get the picture). But this haircut isn’t in any way “extreme”. It wouldn’t look out of place in a smart office and I’d highly doubt it would ever harm the employment prospects of anyone in the same manner that it might if they turned up to interview with rainbow dreadlocks. His haircut is neat and tidy- which is a far cry from the result of just shaving Afro hair to a grade 2 all over. I fail to see how that haircut could ever “detract from learning” at any age, never mind 5 years old. I don’t object to uniforms, I think they make children look smart and avoid the comparing that inevitably goes on during non-uniform days. Haircuts like these are hardly likely to be a huge talking point- it’s not luminous orange or making some sort of statement, it’s just a tidy way to cut a 5 year old boy’s hair.

"I completely agree. There is a while world of work out there that doesn't require corporate dress and prescriptive hairstyles. Feels sometimes as though children are being taught that the only careers with value are in business. "

I work in a v staid industry in city of london and even my industry is much more relaxed now. Suited and booted for clients still though and some prefer to wear that anyway od habits die hard! That hairstyle would be perfectly acceptable and the point here is that it is a practical hairstyle for a black man. There is an issue that we have very very few black people and our gender pay gap is 40% + (traditional is not always so great) BUT this haircut would not raise an eyebrow. The colour of his skin would be unusual but the haircut looks v smart to me.

The whole "business look" approach favouring as it does certain hair types > what is deemed as "smart" > can be extremely racist. There's been loads in the news about it over the last few years esp in USA & Caribbean I remember a story but also here.

What is smart and sensible on one head of hair is not on another.

We are supposed to be at work for our brains not our looks.

To further that thought.
It is about in club and out club.

The norm in my industry is white male in a suit.
Or now things are relaxed more, in badly fitting chinos.
Anyone who debviates from that has to still try to fit that mould.
It is a sexist racist mould, causing as it does much more time, expense, etc for the people who don't fit than do.

The mould is shit.

The boy's hair is absolutely fine.