Bearded Pupils Banned From Class

[mushroom25]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-24382723

//Head teacher Xavier Bowers said the decision was not a religious issue.//

really? and who exactly is he trying to kid with that statement?

[B00]

No one.

It's part of the school's dress (and appearance I guess) code. Don't like it? Don't send your kids to that school.

[mikey4444]

It doesn't seem be unreasonable to ask that 14 year old boys not to grow beards and then attend school. But if these boys are Muslims, I am some what puzzled to why their parents should be sending their kids to a Catholic school ?

[Gromit]

We did that story yesterday.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1280368.html

There is also a thread on Chatterbank.

[davetuc]

The parents knew the rules on dress code and appearance. End of.

[Gromit]

Jesus has a beard on most depictions of him in Roman Catholic literature, how can they be forbidden?

Teachers at the school have beards, why are they not banned?

Surely when a person wants to start shaving is a personal choice, and should not be dictated by others.

[naomi24]

They should do as they're told or leave. In this instance the beard is a symbol of Islamic defiance of western values. The burqa does the same job insofar as it is not a religious requirement, and concessions should never be considered.

[ChillDoubt]

Gromit,
Any pics of Jesus sporting a goatee or similar whilst in school?

This is a simple tale of kids not conforming to school policy so don't try and turn it into a cause célèbre, it's anything but.

[mushroom25]

note to ed - can we please have the "review previous questions" feature back, so contributors don't fall into the trap of re-posting the same story many times?

[ummmm]

Gromit - teachers don't have to wear school uniform either.

[naomi24]

The sole intention here is to rock the boat - a practice that is becoming all too familiar.

[jake-the-peg]

They should do as they're told or leave.

Really Naomi

Is it just Muslims you want to enforce your idea of uniform on?

Or are you going to apply that to Seikhs and make them cut their hair too?

[naomi24]

Jake, I must have missed something. Are Sikhs at the school complaining too?

[davetuc]

Jake - the rules should apply to any pupils who attend that particular school. It's really so simple as that.

[jake-the-peg]

It's - as I'm sure you know - not a question about just this school but a general policy one

I suspect your view is coming from your hatred of muslims

I'm suggesting that you wouldn't apply the same standards to Seikhs and demand that they shave and cut their hair.

But tell me I'm wrong

[davetuc]

You're wrong. There you go.

[jake-the-peg]

My point of view is that while schools like this or the muslim school the other day are state funded they have to take a more liberal view

This school should take accomodate the views of their muslim (or seikh) students and the Muslim school needs to take a more relaxed view to the dress code of teachers (not insisting on headscarfs etc.)

If they are privately funded then that's a different ball game.

But until we get a sensible government that stops state funding of faith schools and takes religion out of state funded classrooms then accomodation is necessary

[davetuc]

There's still the question of why Muslim parents would send their children to a Catholic School unless they were prepared to accept everything that entails. When in Rome etc. Absolutely nothing to do with hatred of Muslims or Sikhs or any other religion. Seems like you have the problem, Jake, with your hatred of faith schools?

[ummmm]

It might be the best local school.

[Gromit]

// instance the beard is a symbol of Islamic defiance of western values. //

Nonsense. This is a problem that affects boys from all faiths. Interesting how the Daily Mail reported a similar case in 2010. Also worth noting only 4 comments, mostly not in favour of the ban.


Schoolboy thrown out of class for having 'excessive facial hair'
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
UPDATED: 07:51, 24 September 2010

// Jobsworths: Sacred Heart Catholic School's new rule about facial hair was only recently put in to the school's uniform policy, but today the policy could not be accessed on the school's website because it was 'being updated' //

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314516/Schoolboy-thrown-class-having-fluff-growing-chin.html#comments

[Gromit]

The school also ban haircuts shorter than a number 3. Just dumb.