Portadown dad sparks debate on 'draconian' hairstyle rules at schools following daughter's detention
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Our main story leading the newsletter this morning is that of the dad of a Portadown schoolgirl labelling rules on hairstyles as "draconian" after his daughter was given a detention for sporting some highlights.
The local man, who has asked to remain anonymous, contacted Armagh I after his daughter, who is in Year 9, was reprimanded just two weeks prior to the end of term at Killicomaine Junior High School.
He believes the school were out of touch in their approach, arguing they have "more important things to deal with".
"I think we're in the 21st century and everybody has a different hairstyle," he said.
"My daughter's hair was professionally done, it was tastefully done and it was two weeks to go until the end of term."
He says his daughter was pulled out of class for the highlights and taken to the year head, before being given a detention for breaking school rules regarding hairstyles.
When the parent contacted the school for clarity around this, he says he was shot down and accused of being abusive towards staff, which he denies.
When doing the school run, he decided to call into the school where he alleges he was told the Vice-Principal was "not willing" to talk to him and he had "no right" to demand to talk to anybody, instead requiring an appointment.
An appointment was held a number of days later, where the parent states he highlighted instances on school social media pages where rules regarding hair had been broken, questioning why his daughter was punished.
"The next step if [she] wouldn't have gone to detention was possible isolation in the classroom for a day by herself. I think that's very concerning in this day and age that a child with a simple hairstyle is going to potentially be put into isolation," he told Armagh I.
"I apologised to the Vice-Principal and said maybe my approach had been inappropriate, but as a parent, I would appreciate a wee bit more communication. We weren't even told directly by the school that my daughter was going for detention."
He added that his daughter did attend the detention, and was asked to copy text from a book.
"I just think everything is so draconian. Everything just seems very dark-ages sort of discipline that a child isn't allowed to go to school with a slight lightening of her hair.
"My daughter has took the punishment, but the whole approach of everything just feels wrong, that there was nobody to talk to when you phone up the school with a serious complaint.
"It just seems like schools are just so out of touch with society nowadays. There's something seriously wrong here if teachers are more concerned about the child's hairstyle than their actual school work."
The school rules booklet for Killicomaine Junior High School stipulates that for hair: "The colour must be the student's own natural colour, hair colourings, tints/dips, dyes, highlights/braids or tips are not allowed."
The rules also state: "Extreme hairstyles or shaving of sections of hair are not permitted at KJHS. Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to determine extreme."
Armagh I reached out to the school for a response but at the time of publication had yet to receive one.
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I'm glad to see more people are waking up to the awful way this school has been run. When I attended, my parents were never told if I had a detention. Mobiles weren't allowed, so how was I supposed to let them know I'd be home late? As well as this, I remember my class receiving collective punishment by a temporary teacher for one pupil not having done their homework and also being told that "anger is not an emotion" when pulled by the vice-principle at the time (a sour, horrible man called McAleese) for being frustrated with the punishment. One of the history teachers (at the time) used to pull girls from other classes to do her hair while she "taught". I was screamed at by a geography teacher who I believe still is employed at this school to the extent where I was terrified to go to their class.
The only teachers I never had any issues with were the English teacher (Doogan), art teacher (Murtagh) and Spanish teacher at the time. I refuse point blank to ever submit my own daughters to the Hell of attending this school.
This school is way behind the times and blonde highlights are a natural hair colour . This is not 1901…. Terrible a young girl or boy cannot have blonde coloured highlights . Terrible and this rule is Way, way outdated! Majority of other junior / senior high schools in N.I allow highlights even the Senior high right next door to this school and the Grammar school also . This needs changed to allign with modern day school rules in the area …. Time to get with it 👍👍