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Schools bans girl for wearing hair braids

... but it allows others to wear it.

The girl being suspended is white, and wore the braids after returning from a holiday. She argues that a black and mixed race girls are allowed to wear hair braids though, and claims she's been discriminated against because she's white. Full story

Opinions?

I'm kind of torn on this The definition of the hair braids as "extreme"- and thus against school regulations- does not explain how it is not extreme for black and mixed race students to wear it.

Then again, on the other hand, you could argue that hair braids are part of black culture. I understand why a school would allow a Rastafarian student to wear 'rasta' hair but not to a white student who decides to go for as a fashion statement.

At the end of the day though I think the school is being rather silly.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So if I was to have an afro, I would be told sent home but black children could have one as its part of their culture. Not two ways about it, school is in the wrong by offering different rules to one race than the other.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm sure this happened a while ago too. The girl eventually had to remove the braids.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Schools should have the power to implement whatever rules they like. The head teacher disapproving of her ugly hairstyle is fair but in this case, allowing black girls to wear braids and not whites is absurd, racist and discriminatory.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it is quite simply discriminatory and stupid.
    I think its stupid to ban ANYONE from their place of education because of a hairstyle, but its outrageous to let some children have their hair like that and not others.
    It seems the teacher just doesnt like the way it looks on this one girl, therefore its extreme, but its not extreme on another child.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    WTF?!?

    Seriously. What's wrong with them?
    I support this girl a hindred percent.
    1. It's just a hairstyle
    2. Saying black kids can wear their hair in conrows or whatever while white kids can't, is the same as saying that white kids can use straightening irons and black kids can't.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have a skinhead, who owns that?

    These rules are ridiculous, its time to drop uniform once and for all.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BlackArab wrote:
    I have a skinhead, who owns that?

    These rules are ridiculous, its time to drop uniform once and for all.

    *apllauds*
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jacqs, I remember my sisters as children braiding the hair of their white friends and nearly thirty years later we are going to tell children doing that is against the rules?

    The stupidity of people never fails to amaze me, its worrying that some become teachers.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    omg!! How ridiculous!

    Since when were braids and extreme hairstyle, and surely the school can't get away with this, as it is a form of discrimination!!

    I'm right behind you Olivia!!! Keep fighting! :thumb:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    School Governors are the root of all evil, and should be rotting in a prison cell instead of being in charge of our childrens' education.

    Though it makes me laugh how the school states how "important" attendance is. very important, but not as important as a stupid hairstyle. If they'd ignored it she'd have changed it in two weeks anyway, when she didn't get the reaction.

    It's no wonder our education system is so fucked up- it's run by clueless morons of teachers, and governors that to call as stupid as amoeba would be insulting to mono-celled organisms.

    The Headteacher of that school should be in jail for denying a child access to education. The governors should be swinging from the rafters.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    _40940273_braidgirl203.jpg

    The extreme one here is the school
    She has been excluded until the braids are removed, but is resisting the school's demands which she regards as being discriminatory.

    The school has offered to teach her apart from other pupils. The local authority says it cannot intervene.

    BBC

    Hope she successfully sues the head.....
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    so what if braids are part of rastafarian culture, a lot of them will just wear them for fashion anyway

    school should be about education of cultures, not culture bias, end of the day if they let one pupil have them in their hair, they should let them all, or none at all
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    School Governors are the root of all evil, and should be rotting in a prison cell instead of being in charge of our childrens' education.

    :(

    *is school governor*

    Just a thought, but didn't we have a thread here a couple of weeks ago where most people thought that a uniform policy was the right way to go?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote:
    so what if braids are part of rastafarian culture, a lot of them will just wear them for fashion anyway

    Braids are not part of Rasta culture, they're dreadlocks, braids are plaits.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm very disappointed in you, MoK, although I trust that you are in the very tiny minority of school governors who isn't a moronic fascist prick. I don't have a very high opinion of school governors, though the schools I went to would probably have something to do with this.

    I've never thought that a rigid uniform policy is a good thing, and that a casual dress-code would be far preferable. Although if you are referring to the plank with the jilbab, then that is different, mostly because she is a stupid whining bitch who had no grounds to complain as the school had been more than accomodating to her religious needs.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    I'm very disappointed in you, MoK, although I trust that you are in the very tiny minority of school governors who isn't a moronic fascist prick.

    For me it's about putting something into the running of my kids school. Taking an interest is important to me, why should I let someone else screw it up when I can do it just as badly ;)

    Actually I'm there to remind the school that they have responsibilities too...
    Although if you are referring to the plank with the jilbab, then that is different, mostly because she is a stupid whining bitch who had no grounds to complain as the school had been more than accomodating to her religious needs.

    And this girls complaint is...?

    This isn't a religious thing for her and she can have her hair in another style if she chooses. So why is she upset?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    because she is effectively been discriminated because she is white

    and that is only shown by the fact that they allow the black children to have their hair like that because of cultural grounds, even on cultural grounds people are still free to have their hair like that, or not like that,
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dear Wendy wrote:
    WTF?!?

    Seriously. What's wrong with them?
    I support this girl a hindred percent.
    1. It's just a hairstyle
    2. Saying black kids can wear their hair in conrows or whatever while white kids can't, is the same as saying that white kids can use straightening irons and black kids can't.
    :yes:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Which is more important: her education or her hairstyle? She has a choice too.

    Although any rules based on skin colour are outrageous.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    Which is more important: her education or her hairstyle? She has a choice too.

    Although any rules based on skin colour are outrageous.

    She's willing to get an education whilst wearing school uniform and a hairstyle that she likes, which isn't particularly outlandish, and which is worn by other girls in her school.

    Choosing between hair or learning is an imposed choice - and a ridiculous one.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I suppose in the end it comes down to the fact that one person is allowed to have braids and another isn't, which is discriminatory.

    The problem I think that she might face is that there isn't a "religious or cultural" reason for her to have braids, which seems to be the excuse that other people have used to challenge such things in the past.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    She's willing to get an education whilst wearing school uniform and a hairstyle that she likes, which isn't particularly outlandish, and which is worn by other girls in her school.
    To be honest, I'm more concerned that she thinks her education is worth less than her choice of hairstyle. Perhaps she's considering a career as a hairdresser. My fear is that she's not considering a career at all.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    To be honest, I'm more concerned that she thinks her education is worth less than her choice of hairstyle. Perhaps she's considering a career as a hairdresser. My fear is that she's not considering a career at all.

    Maybe she thinks that authority is being exercised unjustly and has decided to defy it

    :yeees:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ridiculous.

    i'm sure they wouldn't mind if she had her hair in two plaits. so she has it in more than two? as has been said, it's still hardly extreme. i could understand if she had bright green braids or something, but from the picture, they actually look quite neat.

    either implement a 'no braids' rule across the school, or let anyone have them. not allowing them on the basis of skin colour is discriminatory. plain and simple.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    She told the BBC News website: "It's like one rule for black children and another rule for white.

    and this is why black people could suffer. Some people I feel will be quite angry that its ok if you are black to have braids but if your white then no way. She has been discriminated against, if black pupils are allowed braids then surely braids should be allowed for everyone.

    Her hair is neat and tidy.....the school are in the wrong, end off.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe she thinks that authority is being exercised unjustly and has decided to defy it

    :yeees:
    May be. Whilst I agree that the rules should be the same regardless of skin colour or hair texture, I'm getting a bit fed up of these stories. Perhaps she's willing to sacrifice her education for the right to have her hair in any style she desires. But I'd rather she actually just put up and shut up.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    To be honest, I'm more concerned that she thinks her education is worth less than her choice of hairstyle.

    So lets assume this was your Daughter would you fight the case or make her take them out ?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BeckyBoo wrote:
    Her hair is neat and tidy.....the school are in the wrong, end off.
    That's true. I wouldn't describe her hairstyle as "extreme".
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BeckyBoo wrote:
    So lets assume this was your Daughter would you fight the case or make her take them out ?
    Both?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    Both?

    No, pick one ;)
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