to think school's shouldn;t be able to ban certain hairstyles?

[whichwitchisthis]

just wondering really

the headmaster at ds's school has started a new thing saying they can't have spiked hair at all now and is making kids that have gel in wash it in the toilets even though it's minus something outside

Can they do this? now I'm talking short back and sides and no more than an inch of spikes....not a massive mohawk or anything

aibu

[nancydrewrocks]

Diddl

I agree.

Regardless of whether you believe it to be a silly rule or not it exists. You should encourage your child to follow the rules. They are 7.

[OtterInaSkoda]

Couldn't agree more, Moles. The reason (or so it appears to me) that some people object to tramlines for example is that they believe them to be "common".

The idea that schools should prepare children for the arbitary rules they'll have to face when they go out into the world of work is a depressing one - and one I cannot agree with.

[Molesworth]

Hear, hear otter.

The purpose of education is surely not to inculcate an attitude of blind rule-following.

[nancydrewrocks]

I object to tramlines because they look stupid .

I also hate big scrunchies, croydon facelifts and side pony tails.

I don't however tend to mind longer hair on boys or crazy dye jobs.

This no doubt makes me a hair snob. I can live with that. But fairer to apply the rules to all not just those with stupid hair

[chegirlsgotheartburn]

YANBU!

This is a pet hate of mine and I am pro school uniform (to a point).

I think a uniform should be practical and cheap. I cannot bear state schools who insist on stupid sub rules for dress and hair style.

I would prefer all kids to have the sweatshirt, polo shirt, jogger type uniform as its cheap and easy to care for.

Schools that confiscate coats because they are not of the right type, state what colour socks children have to wear and ban hair styles are being bloody precious.

Your hair is part of your body, its your property and its not up to somebody else to tell you what to do with it because they think its unsuitable or (lets face the real issue here ) common.

Making children follow rules for rules sake does not encourage discipline it encourages rebellion and resentment.

My boys are mixed race and they have dreadlocs because they are practical and I think they are beautiful. Not that long ago it would have been ok for a school to order them chopped off because of ignorance and cultural bias. They cant do it now although I have had the odd comment off teachers. One thought they were the cause of my DS's severe eczema .

If there were to be rules about hair I would prefer that parents of little girls were told to tie their children's hair up so they didnt keep passing bloody head lice on to those of us who bother keeping hair out of the way and checking it regularly!

That has a practical and health reason. Banning a bit of self expression is just someone trying to say that their idea of what looks ok is better than someone elses.

PAH

[pagwatch]

I suspectthat some ofthe reason for the rules is so that children go to school at least contemplatingthe notion thatthey are there to attend and learn and meet each other without huge social messages and the labels of cliques and gangs.

A labelless uniform and conventional uniforms may help that.
Certainly I think the children I sometimes see in the morning with styled clothing and desinger labels bags look like they are trying as hard as possible to reflect their parents aspiration.

I remember my next door neighbours friend sneering at my DS because he had next jeans on and not Timberland or Diesel. They were 9 at the time.
I thought she was a sad reflcetion of her parenting and taking that attitude into school is one help of a diversion and preoccupation which will surely affect both friendships and attention to learning.
But that may be shit

[pagwatch]

God. Clearly I should have paid more attention at school.

[kinnies]

Agree with Pag.

Pag, your neighbours friend for example, is a twat!

[LynetteScavo]

Well, I think tram lines are hideous, but think it's a bit much to send home letters to parents askeing their child have an apropriate hairstyle. DS has never had a letter home, and his hair was ridicuolusly floppy and hanging in his eyes before Christmas, probably affecting his reading and writting. But that's OK, aparently.

[Haggisfish]

Molesworth I see your point, however, Unfortunately, kids with 'extreme' haircuts often actively use how they look in school to intimidate others and create a gang culture. Having rules about hairstyles can discourage this. Also, the vast majority of kids have basic hairstyles. Kids who do dye their hair crazily or have mad cuts do attract a lot of attention from other pupils and love it - it can be quite disruptive in a lesson/form time.

Finally some of these more extreme hairstyles can actually be a H&S risk - the kids with tons of gel and hairspray in their hair need only lean slightly over a Bunsen burner to go up like a deodorant can!

Schools have to have rules so that everyone essentially looks the same so that we can try and instil the same codes of conduct for everyone - kids only actually spend about 6 hours a day at school for just over half the year - they are free to be as hair expressive as they want outwith these times!

[Tinuviel]

Our school (secondary) has just taken the mirrors out of the toilets! So they all bring a little mirror to school with them now. Our new school will not have a room of toilets - just single ones with proper doors in the corridors (near Head of Year offices, I believe!) and the washbasins will be in the corridors. So that should make applying make-up/hair products rather more of a challenge.

I agree with Haggisfish about how they use 'extreme haircuts'!

[Haggisfish]

What a genius idea! I wish I worked there. Our cleaner has had to clean bloody, pooey and foundation caked toilets - really disgusting. and the red nose day hair dye that was all over the boys toilets...

[spokette]

At my school, the headmaster (with the full backing of the governors) is taking a zero tolerance stance with respect to hairstyles, especially gels used to spike hair. The reason is because of what Pagwatch has said. There is small core who have used their styles as a form of expression of their little gang and it is having negative repercussions for the school. Some boys were wearing their caps back to front and they have been told to cut that out too. They are also told not to wear the knots on their tie too big and to tuck in their shirts. This may seem petty to some parents but the vast majority of parents at the school support the headmaster's stance.

The tone of the school is set by the leadership and the vast majority of parents want children to dress to a high standard and not look like they just rolled out of a night club at 2am in the morning. Parents are fed up of the small number of parents who are determined to challenge the headmaster on every point in their wish to lower the dress standard and therefore the tone of the school. Enough is enough!

We aim to stamp it out and have sent letters to the parents asking for their compliance. School is not just about creating academic zombies. It is also about teaching children to respect each other regardless of background(gang members only respect those in their gangs). Personally, I would like to tell those parents to send their off-spring to another school and leave us boring, dogooders to wallow in our high standards.

[SerenityNowAKABleh]

Man, you people would not have survived 1980s South African schooling. A small sample of rules around uniforms and hair:

• Girls hair must be tied up at all times. If it touches the collar, it must be tied up
• Boys hair must be short
• No undercuts (it was the 80s) or other fancy hair cuts
• White ankle socks must only be folded over ONCE
• Skirts must touch the floor when kneeling
• No make up
• Only jewellery allowed: watch (both sexes), small pair of studs or rings (girls)
• No other peircings, tattoos etc. Only allowed one hole per ear
• No dying of hair
• Shirts must be tucked in at all times

At DB's school (very strict), the boys had to wear their blazers at all times when in uniform and off the school property, with the top button done up. This is in 30 degree + heat in the middle of an African summer.

[pollmeister]

I agree to a certain point - rules should be rules - and Spokette you make valid points. Its about respect and discipline.
And this is from someone who had a pink moheican at high school in the early 80s - but it was such a novelty the teachers didnt know what to do about it - until we got in the 6th form and they banned coloured hair after that. Mind out I used to flatten it and cover it with a beret - it wasnt really anything to do with rebellion - it was about the music I liked.
My stepson (16) who has NEVER been in trouble at school was just reprimanded for having a big Morrissey-esque quiff! His school rules state that no hairstyles should "distract others". Ha ha. Mind you he was teased with taunts of "Jedward".

[LollipopViolet]

I agree to a point too. My school were like this. although they also isolated a girl for having dreadlocks braided into her hair.

[puss1]

very crazy like some say natural spikey hair would need gel to keep it flat. As long as the hair is clean and presentable and no mohawks or tramlines then any style realy but where does the line stop?just think girls with plaits could be banned in case it swung in to some ones eye really! surly the education and reasonable safety of the child is more important?

[puss1]

my junior school was the same as this i think it shows an amount of respect and a belonging. After all we should be treated fairly.It never hurt of us then in the 80's/90's.

[Ingles2]

I don't mind the Head setting rules saying no gel, spikes fancy hairstyles...but I wouldn't be happy with them making them wash it in the toilets at primary level. A note to the parent I think....
T'is a shame though.. at yr 5 and 6, this is about the only small piece of freedom to express themselves children get.. Now ds1 is 10, some of his friends have started to spike their hair.
One of his friend, a lovely, blond boy with naturally spiky hair ran into the playground the other day and I had to stuff my hand in my mouth to stop myself from guffawing.
He'd decided he wanted hair like the small, skinny one in JLS..sort of spiky at the back and plastered down at the front. He'd had to use an entire pot of gel to get it like that and his mum had no idea. It was totally solid, like a helmet

[Kathyjelly]

My school always did that too. No spikes, shaved heads or dyed stripes. The idea was that the school presented a certain image and they didn't want their pupils looking like a bunch of punks or skinheads because it brought the reputation of the school into question. It's just an extension of uniform really.

With us, the hair gel used to go back in as soon as the bell rang.

[coldtits]

FFS

If a 7 year old boy is anting his hair spiked, it's not 'gang culture identity', parental neuroses about appearance or a childhood preoccupation with hair. It's no bloody different to a 7 year old girl wanting some pretty hair slides in, something which remains culterally forbidden to our boys.

I didn't realise this level of sexism was still rife. Poor little boys,.

[2rebecca]

If the school says no gel in hair you don't put gel in their hair. What's the big deal? The school aren't being cruel making kids wash out gel, the parents are for sending little kids in with geled hair when they know it's against school poliocy.
This isn't a battle worth fighting.
If a parent is that bothered they should look for a different school or educate their precious poppets who shouldn't be told what to do with their hair at home.