Uniforms and hairstyles continue to cause friction* at schools, with students pushing for more recognition of their rights as individuals.
A year 10 student at Melbourne’s Mordialloc College has been ejected* from class and isolated from his peers over his brightly coloured hair.
The student dyed his hair bright colours in recent months to make a statement about social issues he is passionate about, including youth mental health.
“I want kids in high school to feel like their voices are heard and matter,” the student said.
“I have been told to study in the senior school office until I get my hair fixed. It’s really hard to study in there. I think if there is a reason for it, it should be okay to have coloured hair.”
The school has a policy stating “non-natural hair colours” are not permitted.
The boy has been asked to wear a school beanie until his hair fades – a request his mother believes is discriminatory* and violates* his right to advocate* for causes he supports.
The mother said despite attempts to seek formal mediation* and have her son’s voice heard, the school maintains that he must conform*.
A number of students were also removed from class at another Victorian school this week for failing to wear school-branded items. One student at Officer Secondary College said up to 100 students were sent to the library; many for wearing plain black pants rather than school-logo black pants.
Year 12 student Piper, 17, said her school had been “heavy-handed*” on its new uniform policy, called “RE SET” which began on Wednesday.
“There are a lot of families doing it tough and visiting food banks*,” she said. “It is more than reasonable to buy cheaper alternatives from shops such as Kmart as long as they are within the school colour.”
A Department of Education spokesman said uniforms were a “matter for the Mordialloc College school council.”
Regarding Officer Secondary College, the spokesman said the school “council must be able to demonstrate it has considered the cost of school uniforms and parents’ ability to afford it. We are very confident that Officer Secondary College has met those expectations*.”
While dress and grooming disputes* regularly erupt at schools around the country, Victoria is certainly highlighting the issues this week, with independent investigators also conducting* a review at Highview College in Maryborough. Sisters Amayah and Safhira Rowe were excluded* from the school, located around two hours from Melbourne, for contravening* school policies by not tying back their box-braided* hair.
“All staff and students are entitled to work and learn in a respectful, caring and safe environment,” said Highview College Board chair, Nickola Allan. “The review has been launched to confirm whether these expectations have been or are being met.”
POLL
GLOSSARY
- friction: resistance, tension
- ejected: removed, sent out, to force someone to leave a particular place
- discriminatory: treating a person or group differently and usually worse than other people and groups
- violates: to break or act against something, to harm or damage a person, thing or idea
- advocate: speak, write or act in favour of someone or something
- mediation: process of trying to end a disagreement by getting two sides to discuss and agree
- conform: behave according to the rules, expectations and set standards
- heavy-handed: done in an unnecessarily forceful way without considering the feelings of others
- food banks: places where food is given to people who cannot afford to buy it
- expectations: ideas we have about how things should or will be
- disputes: strong difference of opinion, arguments, disagreements or quarrels
- conducting: carrying out, leading, being in charge of something
- excluded: to prevent someone from entering or taking part in something
- contravening: disobeying a rule or law, breaking or going against the rules
- box-braided: hair parted on the scalp in a square shape and plaited along its length
EXTRA READING
Student assembly ban for false nails
Students protest school’s personal grooming policy
Call to ditch school uniforms for sportswear
QUICK QUIZ
- Why has the Mordialloc College student dyed his hair different colours in recent months?
- He has been asked by the school to wear what item until his hair grows out?
- How many students at Officer Secondary College are estimated to have been removed from class?
- What reason was behind the majority of them being sent to the library?
- Why were two sisters prevented from attending normal classes at Highview College?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Seeing both sides
There are two sides to the debate about school uniforms, and many compelling reasons to support both sides. Create a two-column table and on one side list all of the arguments to support having a strict uniform policy and on the other side the arguments for allowing students to determine their own clothing and hair choices. Try to see the topic from all points of view and record as many arguments as you can.
Where do you sit on this topic? Do you feel strongly about one side or the other, or do you fall somewhere in between? Explain what you think is a reasonable uniform policy and why.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
Find out the views of your classmates about a particular aspect of uniform policy. Come up with a question you would like to know people’s opinions on and survey your class.
Write a statement or create a graph or visual to communicate your findings.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.