Was This Church Of England School Right To Ban Rastafarian Dreadlocks?

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6161817/Rastafarian-boy-12-wins-discrimination-case-dreadlocks-ban.html

Once more it seems that we have been forced to back down from our rules in English dress code, so as to fit in with other cultures.

[pixie374]

There shouldn't be different rules for different cultures or religions, no. But the school were wrong in disrupting education for a hairstyle. I have A granddaughter who is half Jamaican and sometimes (as her other grandma can do it well...) has her hair braided as it is much neater and more controllable. It keeps it out of her way. She is only at nursery, but unless a hairstyle is somehow disrupting education (?) I don't see any reason for rules just for the sake of it. We try to teach children not to judge by appearance, but behaviour- and schools do the opposite.

[andy-hughes]

retrocopy - // I find it a tad ironic that two of the guardians of the blue pencil on this site who regularly fall over each other to reach the censure button first and then cite rules having rammed them down our throat at every opportunity ( Befhel ist Befhel) agree that rules account for diddly squat when they wish to display their virtue signalling by allowing those of a certain ethnicity to flaunt rules of a UK Christian school and champion their cause.Hypocrisy or what? //

I am not sure if this is aimed at me, but I'll answer anyway -

I don't do 'virtue signalling' which is a modern media phrase, and as pointless as the rest of them.

What I am doing is defending the right of a person to pursue the codes of his religion, in the same way that I defend anyone's right to do the same.

The uniform rule is nothing to do with the school's faith base, it is to do with it's desire for conformity, and as I have said on this thread, and others, that is a concept that I wholly support.

However, I cannot support breaking the law in order to enforce a school rule, and neither, it seems, can the legal system.

Feel free to scoff at me for agreeing with this boy's mother that his rights were infringed, but the law agrees with me, the school were wrong, and have had to put their rule right to conform (there's an irony!) with the law of the land.

You should know about the law of the land, its enforcement - or does that just apply when it suits you personally?

[andy-hughes]

retrocopy - // "I have encountered a large number of musicians with dreadlocks, and to a man, they have been clean and healthy, as has been their hair."

Lol. A large number I would suggest are Rap ,so called artists, who are allowed to break the rules with impunity. //

Something wrong with your suggester then.

In a career as a music writer spanning nearly forty years, and published interviews in more than a hundred-and-twenty-five publications worldwide, let me just count up the number or Rap artists I have interviewed … er, yes, I've got it - NONE!!!

Rap artists rarely wear dreadlocks, Reggae artists on the other hand, almost universally do, because reggae originated in Jamaica, which is where the majority of Rastafarian musicians either come from, or draw their influences.

// Any one on this site dare use the N word or any other white person in the music business for that matter? Bob Dylan was fighting a cause about a murderer in the "Hurricane" so I suppose that was allowed because of the ethnicity of the alleged perpetrator. //

Again, your ignorance trips you up Retrocop - check out the lyrics to Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello, a song played regularly on Radio Two.

[naomi24]

Andy-hughes, //In a career as a music writer spanning nearly forty years//

But your ‘career’ was actually working for BT (or some such) for 40 years – I’m sure you said you’d recently retired - the writing simply a sideline that earns enough to pay for an annual holiday - a hobby in fact. Let’s keep things in perspective.

I agree with AuntLydia on the covert racism accusation.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - // Andy-hughes, //In a career as a music writer spanning nearly forty years//

But your ‘career’ was actually working for BT (or some such) for 40 years – I’m sure you said you’d recently retired - the writing simply a sideline that earns enough to pay for an annual holiday - a hobby in fact. Let’s keep things in perspective. //

career
kəˈrɪə/
noun
noun: career; plural noun: careers
1.
an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.

God forbid that you should miss an opportunity to belittle me and my writing career - which according to the dictionary is what it is.

You missed out the bit about me 'scratching for pennies', don;t forget that.

And what exactly have you done to offer anything of value to this site, apart from your much vaunted 'studies of Islam' for which we so no evidence what so ever.

I am very proud of my music writing, and I have evidence to back it up - when you can say the same, you can look down on me, until then, please stick to the thread, and leave your personal opinions of me and what I do out of it.

Thank you.

// I agree with AuntLydia on the covert racism accusation. //

Based on the above, how much do you think your opinion on anything matters to me in the slightest? Please don't bother clutteirng up the thread with another irrelavent answer.

[Baldric]

/// a fear of somethng that looks different to what they are used to, and because it is 'foreign', it must be bad ///

What an absolute load of Cobblers.

[douglas9401]

You know, I was going to type all this stuff but it just ain't worth the time and effort addressing the disconnect.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, //Please don't bother clutteirng[sic] up the thread with another irrelavent[sic] answer.//

Irrelevant? How so? You introduced your ‘career’ into the conversation citing it as evidence of your familiarity with the ablutionary habits of the abundantly hirsute.

//how much do you think your opinion on anything matters to me in the slightest?//

Clearly enough to post yet another lengthy diatribe.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - // andy-hughes, //Please don't bother clutteirng[sic] up the thread with another irrelavent[sic] answer.//

It is an acknowledged courtesy on Answerbank that we don't pick up each other's spelling errors, whether caused by autocorrect software, ignorance of correct spelling, or simple angry fast typing, as was my situation! But then, courtesy is not your strong point, as evidenced in your sniping at me on this thread.

// Irrelevant? How so? You introduced your ‘career’ into the conversation citing it as evidence of your familiarity with the ablutionary habits of the abundantly hirsute. //

To coin your tired evasive excuse - I didn't say that, but unlike you, I will explain what I did say.

My reference to my career was in response to retrocop - another individual who never misses an opportunity for an off-thread personal dig - and his scoffing that my experience of knowing about Rastas is meeting rap artists.

You mustn't let your eagerness to scoff get in the way of responding to the correct post in order to get your malice in - it makes you look confused.

I am intrigued that you seem to recall details of my full time occupation, and my second career - you must know that jealousy is never an attractive attribute in a mature individual.

I have my career, you have your 'studies' - my career has brought me a second income, and a lifetime of pleasure, your 'studies' have brought you an inflated opinion of yourself and a lifetime of miserable paranoia.

Hopefully you will confine future posts to the OP, and leave your nasty personal diatribes out of the thread - but in acknowledgement of your over-reaching insecurity, please feel free to have the last word - you know you have to.

[naomi24]

Oops. ;o)

[Old_Geezer]

Whilst people support school rules on uniform and appearance then existing rules need to be complied with. New situations require revisiting the rules, but unless it's really discriminatory then new ones can be applied. Are non-Rastafarians being allowed dreadlocks ?

If this is to be allowed then for consistency presumably all hairstyles must now be ok.

[andy-hughes]

Old_Geezer - // Are non-Rastafarians being allowed dreadlocks ?

If this is to be allowed then for consistency presumably all hairstyles must now be ok. //


No they should not be allowed.

Dreadlocks on a proven Rastafarian pupil can be classed as religious observance, and an exception made regarding 'unusual' hairstyles. Dreadlocks on a non-Rastafarian pupil are a 'fashion' hairstyle, and not allowed under school rules.

[retrocop]

A-H
Something wrong with your suggester then.

In a career as a music writer spanning nearly forty years, and published interviews in more than a hundred-and-twenty-five publications worldwide, let me just count up the number or Rap artists I have interviewed … er, yes, I've got it - NONE!!!

"Rap artists rarely wear dreadlocks," Reggae artists on the other hand, almost universally do, because reggae originated in Jamaica, which is where the majority of Rastafarian musicians either come from, or draw their influences.



Nothing wrong with my suggester then (sic)

https://www.ranker.com/list/rappers-with-dreads/ranker-hip-hop?page=2
I am sure there are more rappers with dreadlocks and my point stands.

[Rockrose]

OK I haven't read all the responses as the last 2 pages appears to be 2/3 users having a pop at a Mod (no surprise there)

But to get back to the OP the C&E school openly advertise accepting applications from other religions therefore they must have know this young lads religion when he applied.
They lost the case English dress code has nothing to do with it.

[Old_Geezer]

Religion should not overrule rules.

If a place is incompatible with your religion and you can not bend your religious rules, then don't frequent the incompatible place.

[andy-hughes]

retrocopy - // I am sure there are more rappers with dreadlocks and my point stands. //

I think you are pursuing your point to a useless degree.

My point is that all Rasta reggae musicians have dreadlocks, your point is that a tiny minority (30!) of rappers do, so I think it is my point that stands - but I am sure we can agree to differ, because it is not central to the debate on question.

[retrocop]

O-G
I am in full agreement there.

[jackthehat]

If the 'incompatible place' is the only school your child has been offered a place at, or the only one which has a catchment area including your residence......you don't have a lot of choice!

[Rockrose]

Then OG they should have rejected his application - but consider this is a religious school where does that stand in your rules over religion?

[andy-hughes]

Old_Geezer - // Religion should not overrule rules. //

Indeed it should not - but illegal discrimination should overrule rules any day of the week.

// If a place is incompatible with your religion and you can not bend your religious rules, then don't frequent the incompatible place. //

It was not incompatable when the school agreed to take the pupil, knowing his religion, and presumably knowing the faith's rules on hair.

The school accepted the pupil on the basis of his faith, which was evident and doubtless discussed with his mother at the time of entry. It then discovered that his hair appeared to contravene a school rule, and it enforced religious discrimination in order to enforce its rule.

Such discrimination is against the law, and the school was correctly pulled up for it.

It is not the Rastafarian faith that broke the law, it is the school's governing body.