Letter of the Day | School grooming policies should be inclusive

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Last week, a story was published in THE STAR titled ‘School bars plaited-hair boy ...” in which the principal of the Trelawny-based William Knibb High School stood by his decision to bar a male student with plaited hair from attending face-to-face school, even though the student in question is said to be a Rastafarian.

The principal said that, while the school has a policy which allows Rastafarians to wear their hair openly, some boys took advantage of it by wearing tams to conceal plaited hair. Even though he acknowledged receiving a letter from a Rastafarian group, confirming that the barred student is indeed a Rastafarian, he still insisted that the boy’s hair be locked or cut.

First, let me say that I am not against school rules generally. However, this arbitrary barring of the student from school because he does not express his Rastafarianism in the way that principal expects is unacceptable.

This points to a wider issue with schools having the freedom to establish discriminatory rules, particularly those relating to hair and grooming. Students should be able to wear locks and other Afrocentric hairstyles for the racial and cultural significance they hold. Religion should not be the only basis on which one is able to wear Afrocentric hairstyles such as locks or plaits. Further, schools with rules that ban certain hairstyles and dress are able to deny students attendance on that variable alone. This is the major problem with schools making rules that do not take into consideration racial, cultural, religious and gender identities.

This sort of rulemaking can extend to and ultimately be harmful to LGBT students whose gender non-conforming attire could be deemed against the rules. It is very important that policies guiding hair and grooming in schools take into consideration racial, religious, cultural and identities to ensure the right to education is fulfilled and as a way to promote diversity and inclusion.

NICKOY WILSON

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Equality For All Foundation