racism and sexism in school?

shady lane

Opinions?

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1830971,00.html

A 16-year-old boy has moved schools after being suspended because his hair was too long. Sam Grant, 16, was only allowed back into class when his parents took legal action against Sir Thomas Rich school in Gloucester.
The teenager, who is of mixed race, said he had grown his hair long to divert attention from the colour of his skin, which had attracted racist remarks. His father, solicitor Stephen Grant, said the school had discriminated against his son on sex and race grounds.

Sam will now study for A-levels at another school. Sir Thomas Rich school was unable to comment on the case.

I bet that isn't the whole story. I bet he was a very very naughty individual and his long hair wasn't the sole reason for his expulsion.

Reply 3

OP

Remember that really cute boy on Hollyoaks that was getting bullied for being mixed race?

If he was really naughty, I don't know if his parents would have sued the school. That takes a bit of effort just for some troublemaking child. Anyway, the school may actually have had a rule against long hair on boys on the books since the 1960s.

Reply 4

Caribou

1

I would go insane if i was told to cut my hair.

Reply 5

OP

You'd think the school would have suspended the racist students...

Reply 6

Arminius

14

Hair is part of the uniform rules.

Race card, tsk :rolleyes:

Reply 7

OP

Zakatu

Hair is part of the uniform rules.

Race card, tsk :rolleyes:

It's not a race issue in itself, although that's part of it.

Do you think its right, in 2006, for schools to have rules against hair length on males?

Reply 8

Caribou

1

shady lane

It's not a race issue in itself, although that's part of it.

Do you think its right, in 2006, for schools to have rules against hair length on males?

of course not.

Reply 9

Humra

Not much sexism in my school...well none actually.
However there is a kind of racism around there.. It's pretty funny really, in the way they approach it.. "I hate all Pakis/'Goray'...oh by the way I don't mean you, you're all right."
:rolleyes:

Reply 10

Nellup

I find that the most racism comes from students who just don't have a clue...
By that I mean the ones who make desicions based upon media induced paranoia, they expect everyone of middle-eastern race to blow something up, when in reality it is the smallest minority who take extremeist action mainly based upon religion rather than race.
As for sexism I have found that to be more prevalent, especially since teachers often subversively encourage it by splitting us up in males and females, which is also degrading since I'm sure most of the lads would rather be with the girls...

Reply 11

Stick Man

11

Those who are genuinely concerned with racial discrimination are, sadly, almost impossible to sitinguish from those who are, as someone above said, "playing the race card".

With respect to whether a school should exclude a boy because he has long hair my answer would be no; but that is not down to sexism fears, rather because hair cannot be easily removed then put back like clothing or earrings. However, if the school's head thought the boy's appearance as a whole or his appearance combined with his behaviour could be damaging to the school's reputation, taking such action would not be as uncommon as you may think.

Reply 12

RieLouise

1

Where's the sexism then?
And the homophobia?

Reply 13

Stick Man

11

Boys can't have long hair = sexism?
:confused:

Reply 14

OP

Stick Man

Boys can't have long hair = sexism?
:confused:

Yeah, that's the argument. If girls can have long hair, there's nothing inherently wrong with it. So saying that a boy can't have long hair is sexist.

Plus the problem is, the kid said he was experiencing racist bullying! Then he gets suspended for having long hair? Doesn't seem like the school has the right priorities. If the legal action was successful I'm assuming that there was some truth behind the student's claim.

Reply 15

shady lane

Yeah, that's the argument. If girls can have long hair, there's nothing inherently wrong with it. So saying that a boy can't have long hair is sexist.

Plus the problem is, the kid said he was experiencing racist bullying! Then he gets suspended for having long hair? Doesn't seem like the school has the right priorities. If the legal action was successful I'm assuming that there was some truth behind the student's claim.

He is probably the absolute scum of the Earth. He'll be a trouble making little sod who is constantly in trouble, who will probably have grown his hair just to be a 'rebel'. He would have been aware of the rules before he'd grown his hair so why did he grow his hair just to make a fuss?
IE in lower-6th he MUST have had shorter (acceptable in the school) hair otherwise he would have been 'suspended' sooner because of it.

The fact is he is probably the worst behaved pupil you have ever come across and was probably on his final warning and being a little smartarse will have thought "ohh I know what I'll do to passively to annoy the school that they won't be able to do anything about! Not cut my hair". When the consequences of his actions come and bite him in the arse he complains. His parents get involved (which is usually always the case with badly behaved pupils), and say 'ohh my Jonny didn't to anything he's always been an angel. This is discrimination and we intend to sue!'.

Believe it or not the police get this **** all the time from **** bag mothers who fail to see that their children are reprobates who are a bane of our society. Being able to sue fundamentally undermines the authority of any institution to practice the laws in its own grounds.

YOU DON'T LIKE IT? DON'T GO TO THAT SCHOOL THEN! Why go somewhere that says "no smoking" and then light up a fag? And when you're told to put it out you say 'you can't tell me not to smoke, I have my rights. I'm going to sue'.

The World has gone mad.

Reply 16

Straggler

13

..

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 17

OP

More background from the BBC. The bit I put in bold at the end emphasizes the ridiculous nature of the punishment:

He was allowed back after his parents challenged the school saying the ban had affected their son's schoolwork.

Sam said: "It's easier and friendlier for people to comment on my hair and call me 'mophead' or something like that rather than derogatory names. I'm mixed-race and I found that having longer hair ended remarks of a racist nature."

Sam's father, solicitor Stephen Grant, said the school had discriminated against him on grounds of sex and race and that the rule was old-fashioned.

"The reaction of the school was ridiculous and we were totally shocked at its inflexibility and failure to engage in meaningful debate about the underlying issues."

Mediation agreed

He added: "I understand they have school rules but to suspend him from coming back to school unless he cut his hair was draconian. Pupils committing acts of theft and damage received less severe disciplinary sanctions."

Reply 18

FanTOM

Why should someone be forced to find another school because of a rule that clearly breaches human rights? Your hair is part of your body. It naturally grows. No-one has the right to enforce rules on what length is acceptable and what is not. You know nothing about this boy and are jumping to conclusions already.

But you accept that the school MUST be in the wrong and this boy is a victim to a draconian school system that expels students en-mass for having long hair? Ok then. Human rights is the biggest load of bull **** going so defend it all you want but I think it is an absolute farse. Regardless of opinions on human rights or anything like that, why don't people just do as they're told instead of inviting this kind of trouble onto themselves? They say "no long hair" and it is their school. So why grow your hair in that school and then argue with them? DO AS YOUR TOLD OR PISS OFF! If it's a private school then they have every right to enforce that rule regardless of human rights. It is a private institution and if you wish to be a part of it you must abide by its rules. And by the look of its website and the people on there etc it looks private.

FanTOM

At my school, you couldn't have long hair either. I didn't have long hair then but I do now, and I would of been infuriated if I was told to cut it. There is nothing wrong with authority in concept, but pointless rules that only discriminate surely in this day and age cannot be tolerated.

Again, don't like it? Go to another school. And don't say "why should I have to?" becuase you have to because the rules say so! You don't like the rules don't go to that school. You want them to educate you then keep your hair short until you leave. Why on Earth people get so uppity about stuff like this is beyond me. And you say the rules are pointless? Long hair looks untidy. Your long hair is pointless, so cut it. There is probably a uniform in the school that people must wear so why don't you complain about your human rights there and how you shouldn't be forced to do anything. You have a right to wear what you want but when you go to school you must wear a uniform? Sue the bastards for that! Why everything must be brought to this wishy washy liberal standard of crappiness is beyond me. Everyone bangs on about rights and about how everyone is equal but my God people are not born equal regardless of the people who say otherwise who have their heads in the clouds. Equal liberty for everyone is one of the pitfalls of the country we live in and causes needless problems like those above. Deal with it.

FanTOM

Your "no-smoking" argument is irrelevant in context. Smoking harms others around you, your hair doesn't. And why can a female wear her hair at any length in school, but not a male?

Erm so you can smoke in a no-smoking area when there are no people around you? Uh... no you can't..
And the whole male/female hair length thing... why would you be able to have your hair the same length as a girl? You can't do alot of things girls do and the same for them. It's how it is and how girls have traditionally always worn their hair so why make a big song and dance about it. Why can't you just accept it? Hair length is a very little thing in life and if you cry about that then I fear you'll find the real world a tough place to survive in.

Cry more

Reply 19