Why has hair grooming become the focus of late?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Since the back-to-school period began, there has been a focus on the topic of hair grooming, which seems to be causing a lot of problems. During this period, this issue has always been the hot topic, since kids are usually thinking about getting sharp haircuts for school.

I must say that all schools would usually have their grooming policies, which all students are expected to adhere to. On the other hand, I can’t dispute the fact that children should be children and nothing beats a nicely ironed uniform to go well with a well-groomed haircut. These rules should thus apply to children, since you are trying to instil certain principle and values in the people who will now become the men and women of tomorrow.

However, what I’m having a problem with is, how can a university graduate be barred from getting a job just because of the hairstyle the person is wearing? Listening to his story I felt sad, because according to this young man, he has been home for a year without a job and finally when a call came that he had got a job, he was reportedly told that he can’t get the job because of his hairstyle. He just had to sit and watch his dreams shatter to pieces. How can you force an individual to cut or loc their hair to get a job?

In my opinion, the world has evolved and we should instead of looking at hairstyles, focus to address other important issues in our schools.

I don’t see where the hair, neatly groomed, would distract or prevent a student from learning. What matters is the qualifications and the passion that an individual brings towards learning or performing their duties in a job. I strongly believe that the Government should address this issue and guide the schools on grooming policies. I believe there should not be any discrimination on the kind of hairstyle one wears.

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS