Should he be allowed to go to school with this hairstyle?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....lishment-mohican.html

/// I would feel ridiculous without it, it makes me an individual. All my mates like it and some want it too.' ///

Yes a ridiculous individual it would seem.

[ludwig]

What a load of old twaddle. If the school says it's unnacceptable then it's unacceptable. If his parents can't cope with that then they should either send him somewhere where it is acceptable (good luck finding that) or home school him.

Things can't all be the way we want them to be all the time. They have a simple choice to make about what's more important to them - the hair or the school.

[New Judge]

Well said, ludwig. That's exactly my view and you have managed to put it far more succinctly!

[Kromovaracun]

"They have a simple choice to make about what's more important to them - the hair or the school. "

Yes, I'd agree - that does seem to be the situation. But pardon me for thinking we can (and should) question the fact that they're being forced to make that choice.

[sara3]

of course you can question it, Kromo, but it comes back to the same thing.. them's the rules!

[ChuckFickens]

Awwwww, how sweet, he wants to be a cage fighter!!

http://www.warrington...w_over_son_s_haircut/

I wonder what the next rule the parents will decide is not to their liking.

[sara3]

and he's "training to do tattoos".. so that will make use of his grade A education.

[Kromovaracun]

"he's "training to do tattoos".. so that will make use of his grade A education. "

And who exactly are you to judge?

"but it comes back to the same thing.. them's the rules! "

With respect, I think you may have missed the point. I'm not trying to prove they're not the rules - I'm just trying to show why I think the rules may be flawed and why this case demonstrates that they are. Which admittedly doesn't exactly give much guidance to the parents in this case, but to be honest I view it as a more useful way to go about the issue.

[sara3]

yes, I hear you. you've said the same thing many many times.

I'm not judging him, but do you think he wants to be a hot-shot business man?

[joggerjayne]

We should definitely "watch this space" for a picture of the "down" hair.

Does it go left? (looks like Hitler)

... or right? (looks like a comb over)

... or down the middle? (looks like a chocolate fountain)

[Kromovaracun]

"do you think he wants to be a hot-shot business man? "

No, I don't. Why should he, exactly? If he wants to be a tattooist, I don't really see why that's something to look down one's nose at. I'm getting the very uncomfortable feeling that this issue might actually be underlying what a lot of people are saying about this topic.

And yes, you're right, I have repeated myself. But maybe that's because I need to, or because I think the points I'm making need to be made.

[joggerjayne]

"If he wants to be a tattooist, I don't really see why that's something to look down one's nose at."

Me neither.

There are some jobs which you have to be REALLY good at, if you're going to do them, like hairdressing.

With a tattoo, there's no going back, so I admire good tattoo artists. I'm sure we have more of them within a mile of me than almost any town in the country.

Wouldn't his parents better serve his ambition by steering him towards an art college direction, rather than worrying about "A" grades? Paper grades are not the be all and end all ... especially for children whose ambitions are more artistically orientated.

[sara3]

jeez.. I'm not looking down on anyone. I'm just saying, his parents label him as an A grade student in need of this great education, yet they're training him to be a tattooist.

if they're more worried about his hairstyle, they should take him out of the regular school system that would find this unacceptable, and let him follow his intended path.

kromo, I assume you work in this field as you're so passionate about it.. otherwise you're wasted.

[Kromovaracun]

Nope, I don't work in education (I have plenty of friends who do but that's beside the point). As I said previously, I quite dislike children so wouldn't really fit in. Don't really see how it's wasted. I suppose I'd have to admit here that to some degree my interest in it comes from what my own experience with education was and how it looks now when I remember it - but it's not all derived from just my life, that would be untenable. I just think it's an issue which is important to care about.

Your question (and JJ's) about why his parents are stressing grades but supporting his intended career path I can't really answer. I don't know whether there are that many art colleges which accept pupils starting at 11 - or if they're affordable. What I do think is that if he had poor grades then I don't think any of the majority of posters supporting the school would have let it drop - I think they'd be very keen on pointing it out. But I also agree with JJ that the way schools assess children is incredibly flawed.

[anotheoldgit]

Kromovaracun

/// I don't think I will ever understand the rigid intolerance of being different which seems so widespread in schools.///

It's called discipline, something that is lacking in some these days.

[anotheoldgit]

Kromovaracun

/// But even so, surely that's something to be discovered when you get to the jobs market? He's a kid.///

Then as a kid it is better for him to be taught what is expected of him when he enters the job market.

That way it won't be such a shock to him.

[boxtops]

That's my feeling too, AOG - there are times to conform, and times when you can be individual. You don't get away with it in the workplace (not in the places I've worked, anyway) so learning early is a good start.

[cc1]

And when he gets teased about his "hairstyle", they'll be complaining about bullying, expecting the school to waste time sorting it out. It's possible to assess a large majority from their outlandish styles, forget SATs. Don't forget the basic mantra of parental attitude to school rules "Discipline is what other people's children need"

[anotheoldgit]

LoftyLottie

/// A teacher at my son's school who had taught at non uniform schools overseas said that children learn far better when they are comfortable in clothes they like wearing and feel confident in and I can see why that might be.///

You failed to state where those overseas schools where.

But how could that person possibly know, that by wearing what those overseas pupils liked possibly improved their learning?