Dreadlocks are distracting.

[hinakiba777]

The Story

Short Version: A 7 year old girl was sent home from the charter school she attended because her appearance was not presentable. This is due to her having dreadlocks, which is against school policy. However, her father, a barber, says that she attended the same school the year before and had the same hairstyle. She now attends another school.

I understand school dress codes, but the number of children and teens being sent home or suspended due to not very extreme hair choices is getting far too high. When I was in school people had multicoloured hair, dreads, etc. The only hair related dress code item I remember was no bandanas, because it went hand in hand with the no hot policy. And honestly, my school had one of the stricter dress codes in the region.

I really don't see how that little girl's neat dreadlocks could be seen as distracting. It just bugs me.

[anakhouri]

I agree it's pretty ridiculous (my high school had two dress code rules: no pajamas and no underwear showing) but this is why parents need to read the handbook before school starts.

[HYHYBT]

I agree it's pretty ridiculous (my high school had two dress code rules: no pajamas and no underwear showing) but this is why parents need to read the handbook before school starts.

In other words, ridiculous rules are just fine and dandy just because the school has a right to set them? Nonsense.

[daleduke17]

In other words, ridiculous rules are just fine and dandy just because the school has a right to set them? Nonsense.

It was a private school, so, yes, they have the right to set the rules. The father paid the tuition so he agreed to the rules set forth by the school. If he didn't like it, then he had the choice to send his child(ren) to another school, which he did.

[Glados]

Our public school has a ridiculous dress code. Do you think that being public means they should not be allowed?

[Andara Bledin]

The problem I have is that it appears that their selective about the application of this particular rule, seeing as the girl in question had worn her hair like that for the entire previous year.

Plus, the girl's reaction makes me think they were assholes about it, while they were at it.

[HYHYBT]

Why is it that every time a dress code or similar topic comes up people pretend there's no difference between having the right to do something and being right to do it?

[Seshat]

My school (public) had a school uniform, limited ear jewelry to two piercings (one each ear) with plain studs or sleepers, limited hair colours to natural/natural-like, boys hair must be short, girls with hair shoulder length or lower must have it tied back. No other jewelry except one religious pendant (if desired). No clothing other than that listed in the uniform.


In practical classes, such as physical education, science labs, workshops, sewing/cooking/life-skills; uniform clothing requirements makes a lot of sense so long as the requirements are designed around the safety rules of that class.

The other uniform I agree with for schools (at least here in Australia) is HATS. Many schools have taken to requiring hats, or hats and sunglasses, when the kids are outside.

[bainsidhe]

Here's another link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3873868.html

Quote: Indeed, the charter school’s dress code specifically says "hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, mohawks, and other faddish styles are unacceptable."

I was a bit taken aback by this sentence in the dress code. Afros & dreadlocks are "faddish"?

[Duelist925]

Here's another link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3873868.html

Quote: Indeed, the charter school’s dress code specifically says "hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, mohawks, and other faddish styles are unacceptable."

I was a bit taken aback by this sentence in the dress code. Afros & dreadlocks are "faddish"?

I was under the impression that afro's and dreadlocks were relatively natural styles of hair for some people of african decent.

While I'm not a hundred percent sure about dreads, I know afro's are.

...

How the crap is that "faddish"?

[violiav]

Faddish is pretty broad. Bobs, beehives, bouffants, braids, pixies. Hairstyles are faddish by nature.

[daleduke17]

I just wonder if they are trying to not say "gang related" by saying "faddish".

Why is it anytime dress code gets brought up people get all butt hurt because they got in trouble for NOT following the dress code.

[Nyoibo]

I just wonder if they are trying to not say "gang related" by saying "faddish".

Why is it anytime dress code gets brought up people get all butt hurt because they got in trouble for NOT following the dress code.

Because "FREEDOM" and "STOP REPRESSING ME!!!"

Rules exist, deal with it.

[s_stabeler]

as a general rule, rules should NOT restrict you arbitrarily, Nyoibo. In my mind, rules should have a specific reason why they are enforced that goes beyond "because I said so" For instance, restricting people from having long hair not tied back in PE (Physical Education, you might know it as gym class or something similar)is for safety reasons (which is why it should be more flexible, IMHO, if the class is outside, since the safety issues are the hair getting caught on something)


wh9le arbitarily banning fairly common hairstyles... I can understand banning mohawks, because they ALWAYS look odd, and frankly aren't that common.

also, that dresscode is a bit vague. what defines faddish? Because I could just see that being used to enforce a single hairstyle across the school by defining everything but the school hairstyle as faddish.

[HYHYBT]

Because "FREEDOM" and "STOP REPRESSING ME!!!"

Rules exist, deal with it.

Why do you say "rules exist, deal with it" as if the very existence of a rule were itself justification for having it, regardless of reason?