How well put Bath. I agree with you but didn't quite know how to say it without offending those with different opinions.
My son likes to wear his hair long and pants low. This is not acceptable at his school but we just tell him that when he's out of school he can choose his dress code but when he's at school he needs to follow theirs. Funny he doesn't have a problem when he has to tuck his shirt in to play bball! Just accepts it's part of the rules.
No don't shoot me but as a primary teacher you do not know how much trouble those 'special' pieces of jewellery can cause. I've had many a heartbroken child because someone has accidentally grabbed that special necklace and broken it or the catch has broken and they've lost it.
Oh well without rules what is there to rebel against
Not that i agree, but i can see why the school is enforcing this - some kids would take it to the extreme and end up with lil holes all over their faces, just to rebel IYKWIM??
I had a nose ring at that age and i probably still would if it werent for my boss at the time - i told him he couldnt discriminate against me!! And he replied that as i was casual, all he had to give me was 3 hours a week.
I succombed to the corporate BS, lame little activist!
Help your daughter to fight!! But ensure this petition is clearly within reason - dont leave it open to interpretation (eg multiple piercings) - there should be no reason for them to deny her wearing a retainer for crying out loud.
Go to the P&C meetings. Arrange a 1 on 1 with the principal. If your daughter succombs to thsi it may just well shape her view on "authority" forever..... hang on, that is probably a good thing!
I am probably going to get flamed for this but ... I actually agree with the school Sorry !! I am sending my daughter to a private school so that they *do* inforce these rules. I am a conservative person and I know peer pressure can be a powerful issue with teenage girls so if schools can enforce uniform standards then the competitveness is taken out if the equation, there is enough peer pressure in all aspects of teenagers life at school and I believe that minimising this is a fantastic.
I teach in a High School, and would certainly prefer such a ruling. We have an open policy on piercings - and I have students who have multiple facial piercings - one student that has 2 through each eyebrow - 1 through the middle of the nose and 2 through the bottom lip.
I'm all in for complete uniformity with dress/jewellery rules.
I don't think we need to be defensive. We're all adults and can agree to disagree if necessary. I think as long as you take the time to explain why you feel a certain way. I can see why facial piercings can be attractive to some people but when they are numerous (not just a nose stud) ie through tongues, eyebrows, lips it can kinda look aggressive. To me it says: "My natural face is not good enough, it's just like everybody else's if it's unpierced, I need to be different, I need to make you look at me and I like that I am empowered by my piercings enough to intimidate you". That's just how I feel when i look at a multi-pierced face. I don't think school children need to go to school with this kind of non verbal statement. School shouldn't make anyone feel uncomfortable. As I said in my previous post: school should be a team sport... if students want to wear their piercing after school then good on them. As parents we should be encouraging our children to be mult-faceted... ie able to adjust to many situations... not just apply the same mode of behaviour/dress to every situation.
I'm actually 2 years out of high school and had the same issue in my public school. I'm one of those people that mothers drag their kids away from if I smile at them because I have my nose, septum, tongue, lip and 7 ear piercings in. It's not to look tough or intimidating, it's because I feel more confident and beautiful (don't ask me why, I just do ) and I do it to get over my fear of needles. My school said it was a safety issue in case of a fight that involved me (which was insane as I am a very peaceful person and had never been in a fight) and it was not covered in the dress code and not considered minimal jewellry. I refused to take them out as I was a good student, never in trouble and there were many others getting away with facial piercings because they only had 1 or 2. Most public schools don't inform full uniform so this sounds ridiculous to me. I just refused and they gave up, but I'm sure you can think of a more diplomatic way to tackle it, like reasoning during sport is understandable but all the time is out of the question. Best of luck with this.
Rhyb, I hope I was tactful in expressing my views darl... they are just my thoughts... not law or anything. As I said in an earlier post: I've chosen to, in the past, to live an alternative life and I believe that the right to express yourself by way of dress and adornment should be upheld in our free Western society. However I also value and admire the ability to set aside one's rights temporarily to show outward unity with peers in certain situations. Team sport, religious observance (if we moved to The United Arab Emirates I would wear a Hijab), and for a profession (if I was a nurse I would wear the uniform) are examples of when I believe it's right to do this. I see school as being a similar situation. I love the diversity in our country, I love the vibrant alternative cultures and communities of which i have been a part (used to live near Nimbin when i went to uni and lived in Fitzroy Melb. both famous for alternative lifestylers. I would never wish that we all became a homogeneous society where everyone looked the same. But in a school environment I would like to think that many students are experiencing the benefits of uniform for the first time in preparation for careers in medicine, law, animal welfare (forestry officers for example) sports careers, retail, corporate sector... any workplace that places requirements on its workers in terms of personal presentation. Students need to learn the skill of caring for a uniform because often in childhood there is no other opportunity.
Last edited by Bathsheba; February 23rd, 2008 at 06:07 PM.
I went to one of the top girls private schools in my state and I was definately the boundary pusher of my year....makeup, nose stud, crazy coloured hair, the lot.
My principal would have a go at me everyday and I would never change any of it, til it got to the point of her saying "ill rip that nose stud out of your face" to which I complained to student council and she had to apologise... LOL
But IMHO, if shed given up on harassing me I probably would've toned down the hair and makeup and gotten over the nose stud a lot sooner...they had a lot of double standards, like girls with dark hair could dye their hair bimbo blonde but a girl with blonde hair got in trouble for doing hers black... WTF?!
Sorry this doesn't help much just sharing my experiences, I think its great that most public schools let kids wear what they want, as long as its not directly offensive e.g. Anti religious slogans or swear words...remembering our kids go to school for education not a fashion show, I know I sure did a lot more asserting than learning!!
I wont post my opinion, as once again Bath has pretty much said it for me! lol
But I was wondering what DID happen with this Tanya? It was a couple of years ago now wasnt it?
So want to know how our DD dealt with it and what outcome there was!
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) and I do it to get over my fear of needles. My school said it was a safety issue in case of a fight that involved me (which was insane as I am a very peaceful person and had never been in a fight) and it was not covered in the dress code and not considered minimal jewellry. I refused to take them out as I was a good student, never in trouble and there were many others getting away with facial piercings because they only had 1 or 2. Most public schools don't inform full uniform so this sounds ridiculous to me. I just refused and they gave up, but I'm sure you can think of a more diplomatic way to tackle it, like reasoning during sport is understandable but all the time is out of the question. Best of luck with this.
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