Saturday 23 June 2012

Oh, I Do So Love A School Uniform Dispute…

…it’s so illuminating of the problems facing our society.

Cue disobedient little madam!
Teachers took action against Kirsty Crooke's 'extreme' hair colour after she arrived at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College in West Yorkshire with deep crimson roots.
Cue outraged mother:
The 14-year-old GCSE student’s furious mother Natalie Bussey, insists the school has overreacted by banishing her daughter to a 'green room' away from other pupils while the colour loses its impact.
Cue demands for mummy’s Little Princess to get her own way:
She said: ‘Children should be allowed to express themselves, it’s not a bad colour.
Cue clumsy backtracking when idiot parent thinks she might have gone a bit too far:
‘I’d understand if it was blue.’
Cue rage at inappropriate subject:
‘I don’t understand why they’ve pulled her out of a week’s worth of lessons for having her roots done. She should have been in lessons. I’m livid.’
Cue pathetic attempt at justifying why mummy’s Little Princess should be granted an exception:
She added: 'She was depressed because her hair looked greasy when it was brown.
‘Now she has to be taught in the room where the unruly pupils go…’
Cue statement from the little madam herself, showing the sort of attitude we don’t want in our future generation:
Kirsty, who has just started studying for her GCSEs, said: ‘It is a crucial time for me and I am very frustrated.
‘I just want to be back in class but I don't see why I have to change my hair because of school. ’
Cue statement issued by long-suffering headmaster:
A statement released by the school on behalf of head teacher Richard Hughes after being contacted by Mail Online said: 'We have established very high standards of uniform at BBEC.
'We extend out (sic) high standards in uniform to general appearance and take time to reinforce this with our students.
'Our expectations are communicated in the prospectus, in letters to parents and, if required, in our weekly newsletter. We also welcome discussions with parents about this if the need arises.'
Translation: ‘Back in your box, love. And your stroppy little daughter too. You know the rules, and we’ll explain them again s..l..o..w..l..y if you were too dim to comprehend them the first couple of times…’

Bucko has this too, and has even less sympathy. I didn't think that was possible!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the school has more pressing problems than silly hair colour... but hey, it's always feels righteous to solve a non-problem when the real ones are too tricky.

Just hand the girl a wig or a hijab (if you must make a fascist fool of yourself) and be done with it.

And if the kids are so keen on looking like peacocks, why not make it a privilege that can be earned with top grades -- get straight A's and you can wear your hair in any colour you like.

Anonymous said...

It pisses me off when they call school kids students, they are pupils, being at school is compulsory, being a student is a choice thing. You are not a student lass your a brat, that is not to say students aren't brats, obnoxious gobshites yes but they are voluntary and they might grow out of it. Probably not though.

Bunny
(in Ukraine hungover)

Tatty said...

Ah well teenagers have always dyed their hair. Julia, remember the fad for blonde fringes back in the 80's ? We did ours with pure hydrogen peroxide...nicked from the school chemistry lab...in the bogs at lunchtime.

Hideous dirty orange coloured fringes by 3pm...scolding from the headmistress and parents...back to our natural colours by 9am the next day.

The only difference between now and then is our parents actually cared about rules and our education as much as the school did. It's not just the kids who are perpetually "Entitled" these days.

Clarissa said...

...staff ‘challenge extreme hair styles and colour – we expect a natural hair colour and smart appearance for school.'

It might not be her natural colour but it is a natural hair colour so her dye job doesn't appear to be against the rules as described - unless what the school really means is no hair colouring regardless of colour chosen.

Anonymous said...

At least one of these stories a week make one of our local rags with Chelsea, Maizee or Chantelle photo'd looking surly with angry mummy chav in the background, arms folded looking like an angry staffie bitch. If Dad - he'll resemble Jim Royle or a skaghead rat faced chavster.
They all blame a minor factor (hair lenght, colour, skirt too short, tree branch damaged) but fail to mention how they have invariably been rude, gobby, disrespectful and downright horrid when challenged - which is why they get suspended or detention. Their inability (parents and child) to communicate using language as opposed to screaming like toddlers is the problem - and they will continue through life, wailing like the stupid little brats they are at every perceived unfairness.

Woman on a Raft said...

Just hand the girl a wig

Brilliant, but it ought to be one of those fancy dress clown wigs; a bald pate with two shocks of ginger sticking out at the side.

Sadly, it won't be allowed.

/pout/ brightens/

Maybe we can get the magistrates to do it instead of an ASBO. You can't identify the nurk but you can make them wear a Krusty Kap.

Woman on a Raft said...

I dyed it red because it is the only colour which suits my natural one which is dark brown.’

Erm...who wants to tell her...?

Bucko said...

Cheers for the link

Lee said...

Why is a 14 year old child going to college? Is she some sort of genius? We need to know.

JuliaM said...

"I think the school has more pressing problems than silly hair colour... but hey, it's always feels righteous to solve a non-problem when the real ones are too tricky."

Discipline is at the root of many of those problems, though; think of school uniform as the 'broken windows' theory at play.

Rewarding them with it is a great idea, though.

"The only difference between now and then is our parents actually cared about rules and our education..."

Sadly very true. Well, there were those who didn't, but they were a minority. Not so, now.

"... it is a natural hair colour so her dye job doesn't appear to be against the rules as described..."

I guess if they are working out loopholes, they aren't up to other mischief... ;)

JuliaM said...

"At least one of these stories a week make one of our local rags with Chelsea, Maizee or Chantelle photo'd looking surly with angry mummy chav in the background, arms folded looking like an angry staffie bitch."

:D

"Maybe we can get the magistrates to do it instead of an ASBO. You can't identify the nurk but you can make them wear a Krusty Kap."

What a brilliant idea! :D

Anonymous said...

"Discipline is at the root of many of those problems, though; think of school uniform as the 'broken windows' theory at play."

True dat, but ... the Gestapo style response to the rather minor problem is still psychopathic and vindictive
bullying and indicative of how hateful the the staff at school behaves in general and what is considered 'normal' in their world.