Basil Jarrett | Hair! Hair! St Andrew High right to ban ‘edges’

NO, THAT headline is not a call to arms for my fellow follicly challenged men who have been shunned by barbers and stylists worldwide. It’s actually a response to one of the most curious news items this week as the St Andrew High School for Girls (SAHS), who typically make the news for the students’ chart-topping performance in the annual CSEC and CAPE exams, bucked that trend by topping all newsmakers for something far less academic: baby hairs.

Yes, baby hairs. Or,– as they’re now famously dubbed, “curtains on foreheads”.

WHAT IS THE EDGE?

In all honesty, I was completely ignorant of what an “edge” is, simply because I’ve long since abandoned any interest in anything hair related. Or is it that hair has abandoned any interest in me? Either way, I drew a complete blank as I listened to the furor over this newest hairstyle that has seemingly taken the world by storm. I had to pull my daughter aside and run the risk of losing my reputation as her “Daddy who knows everything”, by asking what on earth is an “edge”. She stared at me incredulously before schooling me that “edges” are the delicate baby hairs on the perimeter of the hairline, usually at the forehead and temples, which are often styled using gel, edge control products, or even toothbrushes, to create sleek, swooping patterns. To the fathers reading, thank me later.

The school’s decision to ban these exaggerated “baby hairs” has sparked some debate, with one camp referring to it as a form of self-expression that should be embraced, while the other applauds the school for standing up for discipline, good order, and standards. I’m in the latter camp, drawing of course, on my years in Up Park Camp.

WHAT’S REALLY AT STAKE HAIR

You see, as someone who has spent more than two decades in the military, nothing keeps a group of young people on the straight and narrow like discipline and standards.

This is not about hair. It’s about boundaries. It’s about reminding young women and their parents that a school is not a fashion show, a music video set, or a pageant runway. It is an institution built to educate, mould and prepare young minds for the real world where, like it or not, standards matter.

When I joined the Jamaica Defence Force, I quickly learned that personal style had no place in uniformed service. My earring came out, my goatee was shaved, and my hair, well, that came pre-prepared. Why? Because conformity in the military is not about killing individuality, but about creating unity. It’s about building a collective mindset that puts mission, order and cohesion above personal flair.

We all marched the same, saluted the same, wore the same boots and shined them the same. Not because we were mindless robots, but because those little acts of conformity trained us to respect structure. To the uninitiated, those acts taught us that details matter, and that discipline in small things often predicts discipline in big things. How you do one thing is how you do everything.

STANDARDS AND DISCIPLINE

Now, back to St Andrew. This is a school that has consistently produced some of Jamaica’s finest women, leaders, professionals and thinkers. And they didn’t get there by rolling into class with eyelash extensions, seven-inch acrylics, and baby hairs that could dress up a window. They got there because the school had the courage to say, “This is who we are, this is what we expect, and this is how we show up.” And, what’s the harm in that?

In society today, schools are under attack by indiscipline, permissiveness and a rising culture of “do as you please”. Many principals have all but surrendered to the army of parental complaints and social media backlash that follows any attempt at enforcing rules. So, when a school takes a stand in defence of its grooming standards, that’s something to applaud.

When a young woman learns to tie her hair back, polish her shoes, wear her skirt at the proper length and show up neat and school-ready, what she’s really learning is how to function in environments that require discipline and respect. She’s learning, too, that how you present yourself matters, and that there is a time and place for everything, including extravagant edges.

The workplace has grooming codes. The courtroom has dress codes. Even Carnival, with all its freedom and festivity, has rules about what to wear, or rather, what not to wear. So, why should schools be the Wild West?

YOU ARE NOT YOUR HAIR

Now, of course, self-expression is important, but not every space is designed to accommodate every form of it. Just as soldiers can’t paint their boots to express their mood, or lawyers can’t show up in court with neon green wigs to honour their inner spirit animal, students, too, must learn that expression must sometimes yield to institution. This is a life skill. Not a punishment. What St Andrew is trying to do is cut through that noise and to remind these girls that excellence isn’t worn on your forehead, it’s lived out in your books, your values and your character.

To be honest, I’m a bit envious of the St Andrew. In a country where schools are struggling to maintain order and uniformity, (I’m looking at you JC and Calabar), I’d much rather see a headline about baby hairs being banned than one about students fighting, underperforming, or disrespecting teachers. Which brings me to the broader point about the state of our society.

Everywhere you look, standards are falling. Dress codes are optional. Manners are negotiable. Behaviour is “relative”. And schools, the very places that should be counteracting this freefall, are being pressured to become more lenient in the name of modernity. St Andrew’s baby-hair ban may seem like a small thing, but it signals a larger commitment to structure, dignity and institutional identity. And, as a society, we would do well to follow their lead.

So, to the handful of young girls at St Andrew who are left fuming at the decision, relax and count your blessings. Like the hair on my head, your baby hairs will grow back. But, once discipline is lost, it’s 10 times harder to restore.

Major Basil Jarrett is the director of communications at the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and crisis communications consultant. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Threads @IamBasilJarrett and linkedin.com/in/basiljarrett. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com