A school in the area in which I used to live, St Gregory's in Kenton, Harrow, has been judged to have discriminated against a boy due to his hair style.
The school has a dress code that includes not allowing certain hairstyles. The boy, apparently from an 'ethnic' background, has a hairstyle that the school does not permit and would not change it; consequently, he was refused a place. The matter went to court and now judges have decided that the school's position is "not unlawful in itself, but should have taken into account the individual pupil's family tradition". It would seem that the boy has a right to his hairstyle, enshrined in law.
This is sheer bunkum. If a child is from a family of naturists, should he or she be allowed to attend school naked ? Should they be allowed to wear jeans and tee-shirts because they are Americans ? If the family tradition is for arranged marriage at 12, should we allow that too ? We fall over ourselves to maintain societal differences, while ignoring the critical need to create a society that sees itself as a single entity. The boy in question should be, and is, perfectly free to do what he likes, within the law, while he's at home; while at school, and later at work, he should be required to conform to the rules that are the traditions of THIS country, not some homeland from which his family have migrated. Hairstyle is a choice, not a right.
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