new thread
Backround Info = Ime 16 and go to school in Britain, been growing hair for 17 months, no trim.
Yea, well today in School i was called back by one of my teachers and told that i had two options.
a). Cut My Hair Shorter
b). Keep it tied back at all times in school premesis.
i obviously picked b.)
I know its not that bad really, i know some people get forced to cut their hair with no other option and i find that disgusting.
But, it angers me that girls and women come to my school with almost waist length hair and never tie it back and never get told anything, just another sickening example of gender descrimination i guess!
Its discrimination but at least there is no ongoing pressure to force you to cut. It is probably illegal to make this demand as it does discriminate but perhaps better accept it for now.
Where in Britain are you?
In our school, it's sort of the opposite, the rules are against short hair, it's not allowed, but everyone still does it anyway, theres absoloutley no way to enforce it.
They would rather we had longer hair than shaved heads, but it's rare to see a kid with anything more than a number 3...and those that do have more are usually bullied like crazy
weird systems in schools
Is this a UK state run school as they don't normally have rules that specific to hair length.
John.B
is it a public school. If it is, I think what they are doing is illegal, but I am not sure.
Yes its public.
the reason ime not bullied is mainly because ime 6ft.2 and in the late stages of school.
check the school rules dude, I don't think they are allowed to do this. If they aren't, you can't let them get away with it.
*Hmm, last reply i made didnt appear so ile repost.
I know i could probably win this battle with the teacher but i do question if its worth the hassle, on one hand i can tie it back and get laughed at untill people get used to it, or have a arguement with the loser that is my english teacher.
"All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing"
I would fight it, maybe they would leave other generations of long hairs alone, do what you want though.
good luck dude, but I do see it as discrimination, which should not be tolerated.
Don't think of it as a hassle. Think of it as a way to test the system and see how deep the discrimination runs. And excellent quote there.
good way to put it, and thanks. I don't even remember who originally said it, but that quote is one of my favorites.
I dont think there are any set rules, they seem to change them every year, or when it suits them, so thats nothing to go by really,
I know i could tear this teacher a new arsehole over this issue if i wanted to, but ime wondering if its worth it, tie my hairback and give everyone a few laughs untill they get used to it, or go to war with this s.o.b teacher.
You have won 99% of the battle - let it rest.
It would make no difference whether this was a Public School (ie private one) or a State School. The issue is under discrimnation law.
k, cool, I didn't know the laws of where he lived, so I wasn't going to say anything for sure.
From the way it sounds, it seems that this is just one teacher's rule? Have other teachers given you this speech? Could you tie your hair back for this one class and loose otherwise? Or can you discuss it with principals/headmasters and such?
I go to a British system school in Belgium, and although the kids there are a pain, the teachers, although sometimes make jokes, don't actually force me into anything. Although it would be funny to see them try and give me an ultimatum, ha!
There's another guy in my year who has long hair, slightly longer than mine. So that's us two against....200, come to think of it no one in the year below has long hair either (I'm in the last year now finally!)
Here in California, that teacher would not be allowed to say what he said, as that is illegal and considered discrimination. My guess is that this teacher can enforce his rule possibly in his own classromm; but, most likely not elsewhere...
Rather than ASK another teacher if it is "OK" for you to wear your hair loose in other teacher's classes, you can try out an old motto that a former landscaping boss of mine regularly lived by: "It is easier to beg forgiveness than to ask for someone's permission!" It is of course, "risky"; but my guess is that this teacher thinks of himself as more powerful than he really is. I'm glad he at least gave you 2 options to choose from, as he probably knows he is not allowed to insist on you cutting your hair for a public school. But, I'd bet anything that there are PLENTY of other teachers in your school who would disagree with his statement, --- and rather than formally ask every other teacher and/or other school authorities (which would bring you much attention as possibly a, "trouble-maker"), you could just quietly untie your hair whenever you feel you are safely away from this idiot teacher's sight.
My thoughts are that nothing will happen, as long as this other teacher never sees (lol), --- and if he DOES someday see that you are not abiding by his rules, THEN you can formally challenge (because your other teachers will have gotten to know you a bit better by then, and more likely to stand up for your rights)!
It's one approach, anyway, --- although I admit that it''s a bit mischevous!!
- Ken in San Francisco
Ken,
Thanks. Brilliant srategy. I think it is sometimes called pushing the envelope, or testing the water.
I do not think it is an unreasonable request, but if it is not gender consistent, it is unfair.
So, dear friend, without fanfare, without trumpets, without drums, just let your hair down in other classes and see what happens.
C.
I was pretty lucky in school, because I went to a state school in England. I was never asked to cut my hair and the only time any teachers told me to tie my hair back was more for safety purposes than anything.
I can understand how you feel though because I seem to have to same problem with work.
Neil
Are there any longhair teachers at your school?
When I was in high school, the best teacher I had was a longhair -- and he never even tied his hair back. He also happened to be a department chair.
All you need is *one* on your side, and I'm sure you can easily get the others to leave you alone. He doesn't even need to be one of *your* teachers. Just go introduce yourself and say that other teachers at the school are giving you crap about your hair.
I suppose there's only a small chance, but if you find one, he's a virtual trump card. Good luck.
That's a good point. I would definitely recommend you do that, if you can find one.
When I was in school we had a teacher who taught "Rural studies" and had long hair. The subject seemed to be created when he was hired and deleted from the curriculum when he left. He used to play the flute and he was really into growing tomatoes. That last statement may seem a little strange, but he had some very unusual tomatoes. He didn't merely have tomatoes that stayed green when ripe, he also grew yellow, white, black and mauve tomatoes, and even 'tiger toms' that had yellow and black stripes! All the kids had only seen red tomatoes before, so we were impressed. He had greenhouses on the school grounds where he grew these.
Back then there were quite a few teachers who were considered to have long hair, but in reality it just meant that their hair was over their collar and their ears, but the tomato guy really did have long hair, at least down over his shoulders. Can't remember his name.
I bet he would have had an interesting conversation if he had ever met Ken (Urban Cowboy).
Cool story about the "Tomato Guy", electros! The tomatoes you are describing are what nowadays are often called, "Heirloom Tomatoes" (at least in this part of the US, that's what name they go by and are sold now even in most large chain grocery stores). Heirloom tomatoes slowly came into recent popularity because snobby gourmet cooks like me absolutely HATE the flavorless, generic, perfectly-round, average-looking red tomato. Those have been hybridized to ship well and last on the grocery store shelf for a long, long time; but at the sacrifice of flavor. Whenever Americans visited Europe during the last decade or two, they were delighted at the much more flavorful and interesting-looking tomatoes that stayed more commonplace on European tables, --- and were almost virtually unknown in the US (other than by fanatic organic gardeners and gourmet chefs)... Gradually there actually started a "tomato movement" to bring back more of the old home garden varieties. Genrally speaking, Heirloom tomatoes sold in most grocery stores can sometimes be outrageously expensive!!! But, like anything else that becomes more increasingly in demand by the public, they are beginning to be more reasonable in price nowadays, --- especially when they are most in their peak season... which is right NOW!!!! (YUM!!!!!!!)
- Ken
I don't think I ate any of these different coloured tomatoes, so I had no idea they tasted better as well. I just thought they were a novelty. It shows how long haired people are more creative, even of it's just growing funny coloured tomatoes!
Well, just to update, i went to school today without tying my hair back and ran into the teacher.
Teacher: "What happend to tying your hair back?"
Me: "Ime not going to be tying it back or cutting it"
Teacher: "If you dont tie it back tommorow you cant come in".
After he said that i walked off in the opposite direction..
I phoned my mother then and explained to her and she phoned the school and asked to speak to him,my mother told him that i wont be cutting my hair and i will not be tying it back unless i want to, after a long discussion talking about gender descrimination etc., he said that the school prefers pupils to tie their hair back but never enforces it(Liar), clearly he didnt want the hassle of an arguement with my mother when he knew he was in the wrong, justice has been attained lol.