[aldo_14]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4361791.stm

Er.... this is just stupid, really.  Can anyone understand the point of a rule "cannot have their head shaved or wear extreme hair fashions of any sort".... I mean, I can understand the former (if the kids doing so to act like a skinhead), and maybe the latter if it's something shaving '**** you' onto the back of their head, but it's still scarcely society destroying stuff.........

[Unknown Target]

Sucks for you brits

[Flipside]

LOL It's racism, pure and simple, it doesn't matter a gnats left testicle if the racism is against dark skinned, light skinned or purple bloody skinned, to exclude a girl for having a hairstyle that they do allow darker skinned pupils to have is blatant racism.

[aldo_14]

What i don't understand in particular is, why braids?  What's 'extreme' about them in the first place?  The only thing even vaguely odd about them I can think of is that they are usually worn by someone of a darker skin colour...scarcely a good reason for a ban, surely?

[Flipside]

Exactly, in fact, there are 2 pupils at that very school who are darker skinned and have braids and have never been disciplined.

Quite frankly, her Dad was far too soft on the school, I'd have been quite blatant about pointing about that the policy is being conducted on a race-based theme, and that, if my daughters school has policies that promote racism, I wouldn't choose to return my daughter to ir anyway. But then, I'm like that, I work in Education and know exactly how vulnerable schools are to local opinion

[Petrarch of the VBB]

Braids are very. very silly.
And ****.

[Flipside]

Well, people do have the right to look very very silly. Bill Gates is an awesome example.

Personally, I think they look bloody painful, but if she wants to wear them, what business is it of the schools?

[vyper]

****ing hell.

[Carl]

just be glad it's not the 50's, where you'd be suspsended for showing your belly button.

[Flipside]

That's exactly right Carl, it's not the 50's, we've learned a little tolerance sinc e then, I get angry when a I see schools trying to drag education back into the 50's like they were the good old days.

The fact is that the world has changed, and just like everything else, education has to change. Now, I'm not against more discipline at school at all, but discipline to protect the students, who are at risk, not because they wear a 'radical' hair style. If someone is going to get caned, it's not for their own good, it's because they are a vicious little coward who threatened a kid for money with a knife. I'm perfectly comfortable with that concept

And yes, it could be that the kids father is doing the same thing to him every night, life is never easy, but then, how far can a schools responibility reach?

[Petrarch of the VBB]

We had a similar situation at school.

Mate of mine spent a fortune getting dreads done, then was told by the school he had to have them removed. ******s.

[Unknown Target]

Just sue 'em. You'd win.

[Clave]

I'm both bored and annoyed by this

[Rictor]

I believe they're called cornrows. And they're very stupid.
The school was right, you have to make an example out of these sorts of people.

[Flipside]

The problem is Rictor, in this case 'These sort of people' are 'White people who wear a 'Black' hairstyle'. Which isn't equal treatment.

It's not a question of whether they look stupid, or are painful, I've seen people of her age walking around wearing sunglasses in the rain and in boiling sunshine in Duffle-coats, that's not the problem. The problem is that the rule should be applied across the board, fine, if you want to ban her from wearing braids, then do so, but also ban the other 2 girls who have braids. I bet their parents will have no qualms about calling it racism.

[Kie99]

Originally posted by Rictor
I believe they're called cornrows. And they're very stupid.
The school was right, you have to make an example out of these sorts of people.

I think you've got a point there, but there are black* pupils at that school who are allowed to wear "cornrows."

*has this word been banned in this topic?  People have only said Darker Skinned" so far.  If the word black offends you and you are thinking of flaming me then please click this link.

[Grey Wolf]

I think they said darker skinned as one is of mixed race according to the article.

[Flipside]

I don't think it's overly offensive as such, as long as it's recognised as term used simply to save typing and not to bundle all Dark-skinned people into one big generic group

[Jetmech Jr.]

Rictor, I assume you're joking.

Punishing a Person for doing something the school allows others of another race to do? That's just wrong. I'm all for seeing this school sued by the girl's parents.

[Rictor]

Oh please, when did we get so PC all of a sudden. Blacks, blacks, blacks! There, see?

I actually think this is completely stupid, there's no way a public school can tell you what sort of hairstyle of wear, same for clothes. Not if its compulsory anyway (the school I mean). The fact that they have a double standard just adds an extra layer of bull**** to the case.

However, my love of civil liberties is conflicting with my extreme dislike of stupid people, so I'm kind of torn on this one.