Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

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Proudmumregardless
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Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by Proudmumregardless »

kenyancowgirl wrote:
Lizzie wrote:What an articulate and thoughtful child. I do hope the school will change their rule on long hair, it's so outdated.
Funny but I read the letter he had allegedly written and thought it sounded like it had been written by the parents.

I personally hope the school stand their ground although I am sure their are others who will argue the opposite.
I also thought it sounded like the parents had written it and also hope the school stands their ground.
kenyancowgirl
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Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

As a parent I think I would suggest that he cuts it and donates it to a children's charity like Little Princesses (?) to be made into wigs for those kids with cancer - allowing him to conform but do some good at the same time.
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by ToadMum »

kenyancowgirl wrote:As a parent I think I would suggest that he cuts it and donates it to a children's charity like Little Princesses (?) to be made into wigs for those kids with cancer - allowing him to conform but do some good at the same time.
Someone DS2 knows had a sponsored 'chop' (and donated hair, I think) a while ago. Brilliant idea :).

Although one does wonder how much work it would take to get a) the DS and b) the parents in this case to see that...
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
kenyancowgirl
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Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

I suspect getting a) would be less of an issue than getting b) to.....
Moon unit
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Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:14 am

Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by Moon unit »

What a shame to get secondary school off to such a difficult start.
Also a huge waste of the schools valuable time having to correspond with the parents.
Surely when you apply for a place for your child at a particular school the assumption must be that you will abide by the rules.
If the school are forced to back down where will this end....
PerpetualStudent
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Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by PerpetualStudent »

While I think the idea of donating his hair to the Little Princess Trust is a brilliant, face saving one, I do feel this boy shouldn’t have to do so just to go to this school. I doubt the school will budge and, given how much effort they’ve put into it, nor will the family.

Do they really want to send their non-conforming boy to a school intent on enforcing gender stereotypes (despite their school policies claiming an avoidance of gender stereotyping)? Perhaps the school would argue there is no disadvantage? There is also a nod to religious tolerance in the school’s equality policy but I couldn’t see an explicit exclusion to the hair policy on religious grounds.

The school have the right to set their policies despite the hypocrisy - only boys are required to have short but not too short hair, the sixth form girls are allowed discreet items of jewellery but not the boys etc

I do wonder what was behind the decision to let him grow his hair since many parents would find the convenience of short hair through primary school a strong argument for cutting it.

Although he might have been bullied at school for non-conforming I doubt the letter campaign and article would get him bullied. How many classmates would be aware? In addition I don’t think it hurts to learn that one can (politely) query the status quo. I am reminded of the boys who successfully challenged their school’s rules on shorts in summer by wearing skirts until the rules on summer uniform were adjusted.
mitasol
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Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by mitasol »

I’m personally in favour of gender neutral policies in schools. Where is the harm in a boy with long hair?

Good luck to the kids dragging us forward!
Stokers
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Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by Stokers »

mitasol wrote:I’m personally in favour of gender neutral policies in schools. Where is the harm in a boy with long hair?

Good luck to the kids dragging us forward!
Agreed. I understand the school have sought legal advice. It seems to me that, unless they have the same policy for girls and boys, they will find themselves on very thin ice.
Personally, I belong to the 'sign up for the school, sign up for the rules' brigade but I appreciate there ought to be progress that reflects what's going on in society.
Tinkers
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Location: Reading

Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by Tinkers »

I have several friends with sons with long hair. Most at secondaries now. None of the schools have an issue with it. If it’s a mixed school and girls have long hair then boys should be able to as well. Any ‘boys must have short hair’ policy belongs in the same category as ‘girls must wear skirts not trousers’ policy. Both are outdated.
kenyancowgirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Who will cave first... The boy or the school?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Stokers wrote:
mitasol wrote:I’m personally in favour of gender neutral policies in schools. Where is the harm in a boy with long hair?

Good luck to the kids dragging us forward!
Agreed. I understand the school have sought legal advice. It seems to me that, unless they have the same policy for girls and boys, they will find themselves on very thin ice.
Personally, I belong to the 'sign up for the school, sign up for the rules' brigade but I appreciate there ought to be progress that reflects what's going on in society.
I read an article that quoted the head as saying they had sought legal advice and been told they were OK (but in proper legal language!!) I am assuming it is an academy and therefore can set its own uniform/hair policy in that case. I think if the parents hadn't made a big song and dance about it, the school might have been minded to reach an agreement but the way the parents have gone about it has done them no favours at all - the school will no doubt be delighted if the boy refuses to conform and goes elsewhere (although I don't think he will...) as someon else said, I think he will be a target for bullying any where else whereas this school will ensure he is looked after if he abides by the rules.
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