Ok this is just moronic

[Amanita]

I really don't think there's a comparison between hair length and a uniform. You can take a uniform off as soon as you get home. As others have said, you can't do that with hair.
I wonder- they forbid guys from having long "girlish" hair, but would they suspend a girl if she came to school with a boyish haircut or even a buzzcut?

I think dress codes like this are just as bad as the ones where skirts are mandatory for girls, imposing sexist expectations.

[musicismylife5]

I really hope this is a private school. I went on the website to find the dress code and I found the High School Dress code by accident. There are things like approved colors for shirts and belts. In a public school, I really don't think it's okay to restrict anything that isn't inappropriate. Policies regarding hair color or style are just ridiculous and goes way beyond the authority a school has. Piercings and tattoos are the same thing. As long as they don't say anything offensive, it's a parent's choice. Public schools need to stick to things that are truly an issue and allow students and parents to dress themselves.

[McDreidel09]

They are sitting there saying that the long hair makes me a nonconstructive member of society, however, he is growing his hair out so he can give it to a cancer patient. How is that not constructive? The long hair was his idea from what I understand. How can they tell that child that he is a bad person when he is helping someone else out of the goodness of his heart?

[Arcade Man D]

and in any case, school isn't for socialising or discovering the inner you

I'm sorry, but that's bullshit. If school isn't for "socializing" or "discovering the inner you", then those insipid posters about individuality ought to come down, and why was I forced to go outside for recess where I was being bullied?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Cuz you went to a shit school. *eye roll* I was told to walk away from bullies; however, I don't think my school was perfect. However, now it's much better; AND has an even stricter dress code now. They must be doing something right, seeing as they have a huge waiting list.

Oh, and if you hate your school so much; then leave. I did.

[Cats]

Oh, and if you hate your school so much; then leave. I did.

Becuase that is ALWAYS an easy option, right? Around my area, unless you were going to a private school (which required application and acceptance and in some cases waiting lists), you had to petition to attend another school that was not the local building that other kids on your area were to attend (yes, for public schools). Not exactly an easy process either, either in an of itself, or combined with the issues we had even then with classroom overcrowding, so even if all else was in your favor, you could still be denied based on that.

So yeah, until you're 16 and can legally drop out, switching schools isn't exactly simple (here anyway) as changing your socks.

[Arcade Man D]

Cuz you went to a shit school. *eye roll* I was told to walk away from bullies; however, I don't think my school was perfect. However, now it's much better; AND has an even stricter dress code now. They must be doing something right, seeing as they have a huge waiting list.

Oh, and if you hate your school so much; then leave. I did.

Sorry, Lace, but you went to a UK school, so your experience has zero bearing on this case. US public schools are such a different ball of wax, you may as well be talking about plumbing with a background in electronics.

[AdminAssistant]

Plus, in my area, there was only one option....unless you wanted a 45 minute commute. So, switching schools isn't always easy.

[Boozy]

Sorry, Lace, but you went to a UK school, so your experience has zero bearing on this case. US public schools are such a different ball of wax, you may as well be talking about plumbing with a background in electronics.

If you think that US schools are very different than those in the UK, then make a case for that. I wouldn't dismiss someone's opinion just because they're from the UK unless you can prove you have good reason to do so.

[Greenday]

school isn't for socialising or discovering the inner you; it's for work.

School is as much about socialing and discovering the inner as work, if not moreso. The work part is the easy part. You could learn that stuff regardless of whether you go to school or not. But you can't learn how to deal with people and how you react in various situations without leaving the house.

[draggar]

So because the boy wishes to have long hair he is punished? I dont think long hair has anything to do with education. What if this child's religion or beliefs required not cutting the hair... I have never seen such moronic dress codes and this is for a public school.

I used to have long hair and I considered it gender discrimination if an employer made me cut it. Women can have long hair - why not men? I always had it clean, neat, tied back at work (in fact, most people at work didn't notice it until I turned around and they saw the pony tail).

[jackfaire]

I used to have long hair and I considered it gender discrimination if an employer made me cut it. Women can have long hair - why not men? I always had it clean, neat, tied back at work (in fact, most people at work didn't notice it until I turned around and they saw the pony tail).

That is the long and short of it really. It's a public school they are discriminating based on gender.

There was a school, no I don't remember any details I saw the news report when I was a kid, that banned male students from wearing shorts. They were only allowed full length pants. This was no matter how hot it got.

Girls were still allowed skirts and dresses but boys were not allowed shorts. They didn't make it gender specific they just said shorts were not allowed. The next day all the boys showed up in skirts.

As they couldn't ban boys from wearing skirts without also banning girls from doing so they cancelled the no shorts rule.

[Greenday]

Skirts are mad comfy.

Just sayin...

[Kimmik]

Skirts are mad comfy.

Just sayin...

well the scotts cant be wrong...

[Arcade Man D]

If you think that US schools are very different than those in the UK, then make a case for that. I wouldn't dismiss someone's opinion just because they're from the UK unless you can prove you have good reason to do so.

UK schools - you can (according to how Lace puts it) easily decide to change what public school to go to, with minimal fuss.
US schools - requires a waiver, multiple documents and tons of legwork. Occasionally requires signed statements by professionals.

UK schools - uniforms considered "norm"
US schools - dress codes normally fairly lax, consisting of "cover your midriff, no pornographic/obscene designs on your clothing, don't show your underwear"

UK schools - socialization apparently not emphasized in elementary school
US schools - socialization emphasized to the point where it's actually used to try to coerce parents not to home-school


So yes, on the main points of discussion here, the difference is so great that UK schools don't provide a good frame of reference for understanding why this is a big deal with a US school