Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 13 year old girl suspended from college for being the "wrong race" for her hairstyle

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-18-2005, 09:57 PM:

quote:
School bans 'wrong race' hairstyle

EXCLUDED: Olivia Acton

A TEENAGER was sent home from school after the headteacher ruled she was the wrong race to have a braided hairstyle.

Olivia Acton, 13, was told she could not join her classmates at Middleton Technology College because her tightly plaited hair was too "extreme" for the strict uniform policy.

However, two other pupils at the school who have an Afro-Caribbean background are allowed to attend the school with similar hairstyles because it reflects their cultural heritage.

The teenager usually has her hair brushed straight but had it braided during a family holiday.

She was stunned to be turned away when she returned to school. She was told she can only go back to the classroom if she unpicks the plaits.

Olivia's father, Michael, says the school's rule is discriminatory and should be changed. But the school insists the uniform policy is an important way of maintaining standards and ensuring all youngsters are a part of the school community.

Mr Acton said: "The headteacher is saying it's extreme for my girl to have braids. I'm disgusted by the decision."

Middleton Technology College headteacher Allison Crompton confirmed that braided hairstyles were generally banned in the school but she would make exceptions for hairstyles which are a reflection of cultural heritage rather than a fashion statement.

Strict

Ms Crompton said: "We don't allow any extreme hairstyles of any description at the school. We are a high-achieving school with high standards and we don't allow any street culture into school.

"We are very strict on appearance. Wearing a school uniform signals that children are ready and willing to be a part of the school community. We have smart children who work in a purposeful way because that's the ethos of the school.

"If we didn't allow some leeway for their cultural and ethnic background I think it would probably be discriminatory."

The row began when Olivia, from Alcrington, was excluded in February for a day for her failure to comply with the school's rule.

She told the school the braids could not be removed for two weeks, and was told that during that time she could return to school but would be taught in the learning support unit. Olivia chose to study at home and has not returned to school since while both parties refuse to give way over the hairstyle.

Rochdale MP Jim Dobbin is now trying to negotiate a compromise, but he admits he doesn't believe the school has reasonable grounds to keep Olivia away.

He said: "The family visited my surgery recently and I have asked the LEA to mediate with the school. I personally do not consider the hairstyle in any way outrageous and I hope Olivia can return to full time education immediately. I do not consider this to be a reasonable exclusion."

Coun Colin Lambert, Rochdale Council's spokesman for education, said: "The school should concentrate on what goes into the students' heads and not what is on their heads."

Linky

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-18-2005, 11:14 PM:

Wrong race for the hair style?!

Yeah! Right! Oops! Like, I'm going to turn down a date with Bo Derek because of her HAIR! Yeah! Right!

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 04-18-2005, 11:17 PM:

What city is that from Joe?

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 04-18-2005, 11:25 PM:

I agree Randy... she's a "10"... [Smile]

(I'm sooo sick of all this so-called correct PC crap!)

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-19-2005, 01:29 AM:

Looks like the area around Manchester in the UK.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-19-2005, 01:52 AM:

Rochdale is a former cotton milling town (the actress Gracie Fields is probably its most famous native) situated in the foothills of the Pennines, near the north-east outskirts of Manchester. The Leeds/Bradford conurbation is about 30 miles east, on the other side of the Pennines. Most of the heavy industry in that patch collapsed during the '60s and '70s. Rochdale is now effectively a commuter town for middle-class professionals working in Manchester and Leeds - an ethos very much reflected in this school's hardline uniform policy, I guess. There is also some light industry and service sector activity there. Rochdale has done a lot better than many of the former mill towns in that region, notably Burnley, which, sadly, is best known for the ethnic and religious tensions involving its large Muslim population.

Any further comment this would inevitably involve getting political, except to say that this girl is clearly enjoying her 15 minutes of fame and that it'll soon be over. If she really wants to look like a hedgehog on chemotherapy then as far as I'm concerned, good luck to her!

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 04-19-2005, 03:11 AM:

quote:
braided hairstyles were generally banned in the school but she would make exceptions for hairstyles which are a reflection of cultural heritage rather than a fashion statement.

quote:
we don't allow any street culture into school.

hmm. it seems that the school doesn't really have a consistent notion of what "culture" is. and yet they use it as the basis of a policy.

quote:
The school should concentrate on what goes into the students' heads and not what is on their heads.

speak up, voice of reason!

now personally, i'm as disgusted as anyone that people are so obsessed with their hair and getting their faces on and all that (and, to be fair, with our susceptibility to be influenced by the same), but surely we should, in the final analysis, be free to do as we please with our own persons!

schools sure do have the most assinine policies. i'd never send a kid to school, or even have one in the first place if possible.

carl

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-19-2005, 03:29 AM:

I think there is a valid argument for school uniforms (incidentally, do schools in the United States have uniforms?), which is to send the message that all pupils are equal within the school system and that a child whose parents can afford the latest fashions isn't going to have a demoralising effect on the child whose parents can't. Furthermore it gets children used to the idea that most workplaces have expectations of the way employees dress (though not always a full-scale uniform, granted).

But this headmistress has gone off the deep end, IMHO. It could be that she sees a slippery slope argument - if this girl is seen to get away with her hedgehog-on-chemotherapy hairstyle, then another might decide that she doesn't need to wear the school tie, etc. etc. But given that there was a high profile court case recently in which a schoolgirl from Luton went to the European Court of Human Rights, and won, when her school refused to let her wear a Muslim 'hijab' (sp?), it should have been obvious that attempting to ban a silly hairstyle would backfire, especially given the race element (i.e. she said that she'd allow Afro-Carribbean children with that hairstyle into school but not indigenous English ones).

It would be bloody stupid if some bolshy adolsescent teenage rebel, doing what such people tend to do, were to become a cause-célèbre just because some bolshy, menopausal headmistress insists on making an issue out of this. What's more, if the case does go to court and the kid wins, that's their whole uniform policy down the pan.

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-19-2005, 06:56 AM:

I agree with Phil! Here Here [beer]

Posted by Daniel Alt (Member # 2303) on 04-19-2005, 10:48 AM:

quote:
(incidentally, do schools in the United States have uniforms?),

Some do, some don't. Schools in the US for the most part follow the principle of "Local Control" (although there is some federal and state involvement), and things like dress code are almost always established at the individual school or district level. Uniforms are more prevelant in private schools than public.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 04-19-2005, 10:57 AM:

I agree with Leo that the hairstyle is in poor taste. With that being said, I don't necessarily think it is a disruption to the learning environment at the school, so therefore, if I was head master, she would stay.

quote: Leo Enticknap
I think there is a valid argument for school uniforms (incidentally, do schools in the United States have uniforms?), which is to send the message that all pupils are equal within the school system and that a child whose parents can afford the latest fashions isn't going to have a demoralising effect on the child whose parents can't.

Over the years I have worked in many schools with and without uniform policies. Uniforms first became hot topic issues in my area after the school shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas - but before Columbine.

Normally a school will announce a uniform policy one year before initiation and offer advice to parents as to what is acceptable and what is not. Most schools ask for some type of uni-sex look usually comprised of a dress pants accompanied with a polo shirt and in the colors associated with the school. Except for tee shits or athletic wear, any article of clothing with the school logo is also acceptable. Girls may wear skirts so long as they are non-denim and knee length. Opposition usually comes from the parents of the class asshole who claims his "individuality" is at stake. This often means he stinks of alcohol and looks as if he hasn't washed all week. About 90% of the student body will grudgingly accept uniforms without any opposition. Within two or three years hardly any complaints are heard. Most of the "individualists" either drop out or transfer to what we call a vocational technical school where dress standards are somewhat relaxed due to the course of study . . . carpentry, masonry, auto body mechanics . . . and the like.

As a teacher, uniforms were always a pain in my ass. Principals required us to inspect each kid every morning and report any violations to their offices. People in the community would sometimes make snide comments in my presence about how it was costing more to uniform the kid than it was to send him in the rags he liked to wear in the first place. Most of the kids I had in first period were good people who weren't out to cause any disruptions through their clothing. As the day went on, kids came in with shirts unbuttoned or tails untucked. I quit going to the teachers' lounge just because I did not want to hear any more bitching and moaning from my so-called colleagues either. In the end, I was there to teach my subjects, NOT play Joan Rivers on the E channel.

Although my comments above might seem to degrade school uniforms from the teacher's perspective, I've never really had a problem with them as a tax paying American. When I was in school in the 1980's I knew even then shit was getting out of hand. Remember Motley Crue's Metal Up Your Ass tee shirts, or the Co-ed Naked whatever craze. When you're a kid, those are cool. Its only afterwards you see just how crass they are. Now with pierced noses, lips, and eyebrows, as well as fat girls wearing cut-off shirts [puke]

something has to be done.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 04-19-2005, 11:36 AM:

quote: from BBC News Online

Rethink call over Cambridge kilts
Kilt
The wearing of kilts has upset Cambridge traditionalists
Questions are being raised in the House of Commons over the University of Cambridge's ban on students wearing kilts when they graduate.

A strict code is being imposed which stops the wearing of any national costume, except religious dress.

A university spokesman said students could ask to have their cases looked at on an individual basis.

But the Scottish National Party's Mike Weir will table a motion urging a rethink on the "elitist" ban.

The university said that graduation regulations had always stressed trousers and ties for men and dresses or suits for women should be worn.

I am confident that they will be forced to back down
Mike Weir
SNP MP

The decision to ban national dress, including kilts and army uniforms, came as more and more people took to wearing them.

Mr Weir said: "This daft dress code confirms many of the worst stereotypes of Cambridge as an arrogant, remote, elitist institution.

"The kilt is worn with pride by Scots, and people of Scottish descent, in all parts of the world and has graced far greater stages than Cambridge graduation."

The MP for Angus said he would be tabling the early day motion calling on the institution reverse its ban on Scotland's national dress.

"I am confident that they will be forced to back down," he added.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 04-19-2005, 11:37 AM:

quote: Aaron Mehocic
I agree with Leo that the hairstyle is in poor taste.

Why is it in poor taste? It's not as if she was going around with 'kkk' shaved into her head or something, is it.

As long as it's not a safety issue, i.e. it's not going to get caught up in a milling machine or something, what business is it of anyone else how she chooses to wear her hair?

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 04-19-2005, 09:11 PM:

As I said above, I don't think it disrupts the learning environment, so there is nothing wrong with the hair style per se. From a personal perspective, however, I don't think neither myself nor Leo are attracted to (older) women who wear their hair in that style.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-20-2005, 01:57 AM:

quote: Stephen Furley
As long as it's not a safety issue, i.e. it's not going to get caught up in a milling machine or something, what business is it of anyone else how she chooses to wear her hair?

It's the business of business, for one thing. Employers can, and some do, require staff to conform to dress and appearance codes which which that sort of hairstyle wouldn't comply. But this kid will find that out sooner or later, and as you say she has the right to do so without anyone else interfering. But what we're really talking about is a teenage rebellion attention-seeking stunt. It's a bit surprising that a headmistress with umpteen years of experience in the classroom fell for it hook, line and sinker.

I remember one incident at high school in which a well-known troublemaker and minor bully made a point of smoking in the school grounds during break times, despite (or, more accurately, because) this being strictly against school rules and him being at least two years under the legal minimum age for buying fags. He was trying to show how 'hard' he was by sticking two fingers up at authority. In one geography lesson he kept getting up and asking to go to the loo. On about the third time this happened, the teacher looked out of the window a moment after he'd gone, then picked up a biro, put it in his mouth and then imitated an awful smoker's cough. The whole class burst out laughing, and from that point on he was ridiculed as a moron by everyone from fourth formers to the headmaster. This was far more effective than suspensions or expulsions, which would have got him the 15 minutes he was after. We never saw him smoking again after that day.

My guess will be that after a few weeks of being called Little Miss Hedgehog (or perhaps a less printable variant thereof!) in the playground, this girl will soon decide that enough is enough.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 04-20-2005, 05:46 AM:

I could see you point if she had a large purple and orange punk hair-do or something, but braided hair isn't unusual. I made a point of looking this morning, and I've seen seven examples. It's most common in black females, four examples so far today, one of them a member of staff in about her late '30s, the others students, but also one white girl, another of mixed race, and one black boy. I saw all of those within about an hour or so.

If you had shown me the original picture of the girl, and asked if I could see anything odd about her I wouldn't have thought of the hair, if anything I might have said the eyes, they do look slightly strange, one looks set deeper in the head than the other. I'm surprised that anybody would even give the hair-do a second thought, never mind excluding her hrom school for it.

Posted by Jason Miller (Member # 2341) on 04-20-2005, 08:31 AM:

I'm fine with the braids.. it's dredlocks that I dont understand. they look gross. some smell horrible. I have heard stories of insects thriving in the dreds.

just plain nasty.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-20-2005, 09:43 AM:

quote: Stephen Furley
If you had shown me the original picture of the girl, and asked if I could see anything odd about her I wouldn't have thought of the hair

That was pretty much my point, only in pictures.

A picture of a 13 year old girl in corn-row braids is seen as "rebellious" or even "the wrong race".

A picture of a 20 year old woman with corn-row braids is seen as "sexy".

(Granted, at 13 she's to young to be "hot". That's another can of worms.)

I'd have been more concerned if she wore a "Shark Fin" mohawk or even shaved her head completely. As it stands, if I was her teacher, the most I'd ever say to her would be, "Aren't you afraid that a style like that will make your hair fall out?!"

(I know a girl who that happened to.)

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-20-2005, 09:48 AM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
this being strictly against school rules and him being at least two years under the legal minimum age for buying fags.

I did not realize that was legal for any age. [Big Grin]

Posted by Jarryd Beard (Member # 2543) on 04-20-2005, 10:35 AM:

Although I don't care for the hairstyle, that's not the problem I have with this decision. I don't think the other two students should be allowed to have the cornrows because of a different background. You can't enforce a rule on one individual, but not on others.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-20-2005, 10:52 AM:

quote: Pravin Ratnam
I did not realize that was legal for any age.

16 is the legal age for buying them; thinking about it, I'm not sure if it's actually an offence to smoke them before then or not (e.g. if someone's parents are moronic enough to buy them for their child). It certainly isn't with alcohol: 18 is the minimum age for buying it and for drinking it in licensed bars, but it's perfectly legal for under 18s to drink alcohol at home if it's been provided by their parents (e.g. a glass of wine with dinner).

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 04-20-2005, 10:55 AM:

quote: Jarryd Beard
You can't enforce a rule on one individual, but not on others.

The rule isn't "you can't have braids," the rule is "your hairstyle must be culturally and religiously appropriate." By the school's definitions, they are applying the rule to everyone.

BTW, the "in" hairstyle for teenage boys around here is now the Mark Hamill circa 1977 look.

I guess thats culturally acceptable, right?

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 04-20-2005, 11:45 AM:

Is my hair culturally acceptable? Or should I be hiding it under a sombrero? I'm confused as to how this cannot be seen as racism? Would they suspend the girls with an Afro-Caribean background if they decide to wear their hair straight?

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-20-2005, 01:16 PM:

quote: Jeremy Fuentes
Is my hair culturally acceptable? Or should I be hiding it under a sombrero?

Wearing a sombrero in Rochdale would certainly get you noticed! [Big Grin]

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-20-2005, 02:59 PM:

By the way, Leo. I got what you were saying about buying fags. I was just making a joke about buying male gigolos. (Though I would not advise you to use that term to denote gay men in any context).

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 04-20-2005, 03:18 PM:

quote: Adam Wilbert
The rule isn't "you can't have braids," the rule is "your hairstyle must be culturally and religiously appropriate." By the school's definitions, they are applying the rule to everyone.

How is braiding your hair "culturally or religiously appropriate"?
It is a fashion (or lack of depending on your taste) statement and nothing more, so the rule is not applying to everyone.
It's like telling a white kid he/she can't listen to rap or latin music because he/she isn't black or latin.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-20-2005, 05:14 PM:

quote: Pravin Ratnam
By the way, Leo. I got what you were saying about buying fags. I was just making a joke about buying male gigolos. (Though I would not advise you to use that term to denote gay men in any context).

Oh, sorry! 'Fag' is a slang word in British English meaning cigarette. I guess it must be a slang term denoting an abbreviation of 'faggot' in US English. I've just had a look at my Chambers' Dictionary and found the following:

quote:
fag fag (noun) a schoolboy forced to do menial work for another, usually older boy; a tiresome piece of work; drudgery; orig an inferior cigarette (for fag-end; slang); hence any cigarette (colloq.) - vito become weary or tired out (colloq.); to be a fag for someone. - vt to weary; to use as a fag. [Etymology doubtful; perhaps a corruption of flag, to droop (qv)]

There's no mention of homosexuality anywhere in that definition. Sorry about the misunderstanding - I really thought you were talking about smoking in your last post!

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 04-20-2005, 05:19 PM:

Damn that English language barrier [beer]