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Original poster

Afro hair is not allowed in primary school

295 replies

Mumkris · 07/09/2018 16:10

Hello everyone,
I am really struggling to understand why my son’s hair is not allowed in school. He is biracial and he loves his gorgeous curly hair. His primary school, however insists that he should cut it or plait his hair as it’s causing a distraction and they “cannot have that”?!
I read their hair policy and there is nothing against that. His hair is long but not long enough to be tied back. It is what it is - natural!

OP posts:
fascinated · 07/09/2018 23:49

Old school da is WAY out of order

BeBesideTheSea · 07/09/2018 23:53

PAlm5 is that you in the pic? If so your hair is gorgeous.

msspotty · 07/09/2018 23:54

Some very ignorant comments here which is pretty depressing.
If a child with straight European hair has a bob that wouldn't be able to be tied back, they would just wear it in a bob.
Therefore a child with Afro hair that is unable to tie it back should just wear it loose. Due to the texture of Afro hair, yes it will stick out rather than hang.
OP's School are being offensive, it's the child's natural hair for gods sake!
Stick to your guns OP!!!!

Original poster
Mumkris · 08/09/2018 00:00

Let children live. Honestly! It’s not all right or wrong. It’s how you see it. I don’t see anything wrong with natural Afro hair, but sadly some people do.

OP posts:
Barbadosgirl · 08/09/2018 00:01

Some of the comments on this thread are appalling and just go to show the white-centric way this society views what is presentable and acceptable. The OP quite clearly said her son's hair is not long enough to tie back so it is not like it is dangling down by his shoulders. This is not that he is not complying with a rule that, say, hair should not go past his collar which can be uniformly applied. This is a case of natural, Afro textured hair being considered unruly, untidy and undesirable. Tightly coiled hair grows this way and shouldn't have to be "tamed" by very short hair cuts, chemicals or time consuming braiding if this is not what the owner of said hair wants.

This reinforces to me that the conscious effort I have put in with my son in drumming into him that his curls are beautiful and natural really is needed and necessary.

PAlm5 · 08/09/2018 00:03

@BeBesideTheSea noooo not me, but VERY similar so thank you!

BeBesideTheSea · 08/09/2018 00:07

Apologise if this is a stupid question, given that an Afro is natural, but would it have taken many hours of brushing and styling to get the hair in the Blackklansman photo to look that amazing?

(Full disclosure - I am a woman but have a traditional short “boy” haircut so all I have to do in the mornings is towel dry and run a comb through it. Too lazy to do any more! So can’t imagine how to get hair to look that good)

Original poster
Mumkris · 08/09/2018 00:08

Thank you msspotty I will stick to my guns Smile I wish that my son will too! It’s him against the establishment.

OP posts:
fascinated · 08/09/2018 00:12

BeBeside - I’m not sure, I’d be interested to know

ProfessorMoody · 08/09/2018 00:14

At that age I imagine a lot of the other children are distracted by it, so it's only reasonable for the school to ask for it to be smartened up

I've taught many children "at that age" and I can't think of one instance where a child was distracted by the hair of another. I really hope you aren't working with children, OldschoolDa as you seem very odd and extremely racist.

Original poster
Mumkris · 08/09/2018 00:17

Barbadosgirl absolutely! We have to tell them they are beautiful. If not they will just buy into being called ugly and unacceptable.

OP posts:
PAlm5 · 08/09/2018 00:19

Possibly a wig as the actresses hair looks as though it is usually chemically straightened. To get my hair in to a similar style I wash, detangle in shower, leave to air dry a bit, diffuse, and shape using argali oil and literally just tease it in to shape with my fingers. People have different ways of doing it though.

Google is your friend. Afro hair is fascinating!

BeBesideTheSea · 08/09/2018 01:07

Just spent 45 minutes looking at gorgeous Afro hair on google images when I should have gone to bed. I will be cursing you when I have to get up in 5 hours PAlm5 Grin

SenecaFalls · 08/09/2018 01:20

Some of the comments on this thread are appalling and just go to show the white-centric way this society views what is presentable and acceptable.

This. Sadly, casual racism is alive and well, even on MN.

MistressDeeCee · 08/09/2018 02:09

They suggested cutting his hair - they didn't say tie it back. & why should he plait his hair? Do white boys with long hair have to plait theirs?

I'm beyond tired of hearing this racist bullshit that so often coincides with Year 6 as a great way to label a boy as trouble, just before he goes to secondary school

We need to be a lot more vocal when shit like this happens. We aren't dealing with reasonable people. Take every step possible to call them to task.

I have a good number of white friends with bi-racial sons who've gone from thinking they'll be fine as who they are in life, certain issues won't impact them to having an 'oh shit' realisation once their boys have grown up beyond the 'deemed cute' stage.

I don't believe kids are distracted by his hair at all, that's a teacher projecting their own prejudice.

Since when does afro hair flick or flop fgs🙄

Grasslands · 08/09/2018 02:23

an old school fro that takes up 12" on each side and up top would be distracting especially to the student who sits behind him.
and back combing it to get it nice and shapely really isn't full on natural...in the same way that a 18" beehive aka amy winehouse isn't natural and would again be distracting to the person sitting behind.
a little fro like the fellow on the MN guess the fruit add right in front of me is really cute.
i would need a photo to determine if the school is being unreasonable.

Aintnothingbutaheartache · 08/09/2018 02:26

I think that it’s perfectly acceptable for schools to have rules about hair.
Boys or girls regardless.
My dc have been told ‘tie it up’, ‘get it out of your eyes’ etc
I would also suggest that it’s not at all racist

Hairytangerine · 08/09/2018 02:39

Can you post a photo with blanked out faces to get a better understanding?

MistressDeeCee · 08/09/2018 03:07

OP has already said his hair is not long enough to tie back.

He was not told to tie his hair back he was told to CUT it - read the thread.

It shouldn't be this hard to understand the difference between being told to tie your hair back, and being told to cut it off

His hair is his hair, growing naturally from his head.

OP has no need to waste time posting pics for ghoulish racist judgment, which is what pic requests are.

therealimposter · 08/09/2018 03:10

It's racist and ridiculous. Those who think it isn't, would you think it was ok to tell a boy with long bright ginger hair that it was a distraction?

BeardedMum · 08/09/2018 03:39

I love afro hair and I always wonder why most men cut it so short. The school’s attitude is ridiculous.

Grasslands · 08/09/2018 03:43

an amy winehouse beehive is equally distracting with hair growing from her head. saying a hair style is distracting is not racist.

MistressDeeCee · 08/09/2018 03:49

Total lack of awareness can be amazing to see, at times

SenecaFalls · 08/09/2018 04:04

saying a hair style is distracting is not racist.

It is racist if "distracting" is being determined using a white-centric standard, which seems to be the case with the OP's son.

redcaryellowcar · 08/09/2018 07:05

I realise this perhaps isn't your issue. But my sons school specifically asks for girls hair to be tied back if long and boys to be cut short do it doesn't touch they're collar!
If I were headteacher- in any school, I would have 'gender neutral' uniform policy which simply stated that long hair should be tied back. I think that's reasonable regardless of gender, and you can choose the method you prefer eg plaits, pony tails etc. I think part of schools problems is their policies are out of date and some boys like long hair which isn't really covered.

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