Anne Woods: A Weekend for Superheroes
Too Blond for School
Filed under: In The News, Weird But True
Like many schools, The Rednock School in Dursley, Gloucestershire has a list of rules concerning what is and what is not acceptable regarding a student's appearance. One such rule states that there will be no "unnatural" hair color on students. This rule clearly prohibits rainbow-colored hair, but also apparently includes a particular shade of blond.
Students Reagan Booth, 16, and Aby Western, 15, both sport what the school's headmaster deems to be an unnatural shade of blond. Granted, these two weren't born with this color, but it's a shade acquired thanks to a bottle of peroxide fairly common on girls everywhere. The headmaster says their lightened locks are against the rules and is demanding they both go darker or face expulsion.
Hold up. That's not fair, the girls cried. "Unnatural hair colors are blue, purple, green and bright red," said Booth. "Blond is considered a natural hair color and there are many different shades." Natural beauties such as Christie Brinkley and Cameron Diaz would surely agree.
The problem here seems to be in the definition of unnatural. If it means that students are not allowed to alter their hair color in any way, then the girls are breaking the rules. But if it means that hair must be of a color commonly found on the human head, then they are not.
What's your opinion?
While I think their choice of hair color makes them both look older than their years, I can't imagine they are distracting anyone. Except perhaps the headmaster himself.
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Students Reagan Booth, 16, and Aby Western, 15, both sport what the school's headmaster deems to be an unnatural shade of blond. Granted, these two weren't born with this color, but it's a shade acquired thanks to a bottle of peroxide fairly common on girls everywhere. The headmaster says their lightened locks are against the rules and is demanding they both go darker or face expulsion.
Hold up. That's not fair, the girls cried. "Unnatural hair colors are blue, purple, green and bright red," said Booth. "Blond is considered a natural hair color and there are many different shades." Natural beauties such as Christie Brinkley and Cameron Diaz would surely agree.
The problem here seems to be in the definition of unnatural. If it means that students are not allowed to alter their hair color in any way, then the girls are breaking the rules. But if it means that hair must be of a color commonly found on the human head, then they are not.
What's your opinion?
While I think their choice of hair color makes them both look older than their years, I can't imagine they are distracting anyone. Except perhaps the headmaster himself.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 9)
1-23-2009 @ 3:55PM
Sandyone said...They're teens...they're dying to look older than their years!
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 4:07PM
LS said...OH, P.U.!!! Did you really mean that pun???? It's awful!!! (BRILLIANT, of course, but awful!!!)
1-24-2009 @ 2:42PM
Shar said...Hooray!!! Somebody has finally siad something. It is the worst thing to do is look at a scene in a movie or TV series and there are 16 people with blond hair! Very distracting and Please, people...everyone DOES NOT look good with blond hair!
1-24-2009 @ 4:26PM
kylee said...My daughter was suspended from high school for having an unnatural hair color - BLACK. I often wonder if they were going to suspend all the Chinese students in her high school too!!
(This was about 15 years ago - in Los Angeles, of all places!)
1-24-2009 @ 4:54PM
hall monitor said...When did hair color become a major concern of the education system? I jsut read another story about a 5th grader kicked out for having pink hair. Wild!
Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org
1-24-2009 @ 5:04PM
hapmar23 said...Yes! and if they dye it brown, that will be against the rules because it tooooooooo will not be natural!!!!!
1-24-2009 @ 6:31PM
67 year old male said...What bull crap!!! Just bring the Taliban in to run things.
1-24-2009 @ 6:44PM
Amanda said...We who are about to DYE salute you!
Sorry, I just couldn't resist!
As far as the school goes, me thinks the headmaster doth protest too much!
1-24-2009 @ 7:07PM
schulstead said...THAT IS SUCH BS....EVERYONE HAS THE FREEDOM AND THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIRSELF...IF THE PARENT HAS NO PROBLEM WITH IT THEN THE SCHOOL SHOULDNT EITHER..LETS BE REAL HERE...WE ALL HAVE DONE THINGS AS WE WERE YOUNGER TO EXPRESS WHO WE WERE..THINGS CHANGE WHEN U GET OLDER..IT MAKES U WHO U R TO EXPRESS WHAT PHASE U R GOING THRU AT THE TIME..
1-24-2009 @ 11:24PM
Blair said...Lol, Amanda...nice Hamlet reference!
1-24-2009 @ 9:44PM
KJ said...Unnatural hair color means that the color is not natural for the specific individual. Very blonde hair is not common as we age, if it is natural, the skin complextion, eyebrows etc match the hair color. A good example is Madonna, where the olive skin color and black eyebrows and black forearm hair aren't normally found in nature go with platinum hair. She looks very UNNATURAL. Although I am surprised that it is a rule in a high school, it is their rule. However, many people consider unnatural looking bleached blondes as looking cheap and unprofessional, so I agree that teenagers shouldn't be supported in doing it. Blonde hair is found in nature, but only in certain ethnic groups. Black hair is not found in caucasions at all, only dark brown is found, so that would also be unnatural.
3-20-2009 @ 12:31PM
tara said...that is one of the stupidest things i have ever heard... people take things way to far!
4-10-2009 @ 7:03AM
Connie said...I agree that this may be a little extreme, but!!!! Rules are made to be followed. If the rule is not to have hair any color but your own, then the kids and parents should abide by that rule. That's the problem with kids and parents now a days, they think that they are above the rules. Once you let one child get by with it, then you will have the rest of the children trying to buck the rules. Just do what the school says and teach our kids that the world doesn;t revolve around them and that rules are there for a purpose. What worse is that a lot of these kids grow up and go out in the world and think that rules don't apply to them.
1-23-2009 @ 4:16PM
LS said...Why is this a story? Why are these girls pitching a fit? The rule states, "no changing the color of your hair". They changed the color of their hair. Case closed.
Reply
1-23-2009 @ 7:10PM
isisaquaria said...No the rules says no unnatural colors--meaning purples, blues, pinks- non occurring human colors--blonde is a natural color for some and cannot therefore be eliminated as a natural color for any.
Most schools have the same rule--
1-24-2009 @ 3:14PM
Lou said...It doesnt say no changing of your hair color....It says no UNNATURAL hair color...the color they chose is indeed natural.
1-24-2009 @ 3:01PM
curious said...I find this VERY disturbing and I don't mean the blond hair either. I agree that there must be more to the story than is told in this article. I can't agree with rules are rules thing with extremes like suspension or expulsion. Yes, there must be certain rules pertaining to health, safety and educational progress, however, the zero tolerance mantra has gotten way out of hand. It doesn't work. The only way to fix these issues are to deal with the problems not the symptoms.
FOCUS on the education, TEACH by example. IGNORE those acting out to get attention. If you don't reward the attention seeking behavior with attention they will quit. If needed, remove the attention seeking individual and isolate them in separate room where they are required to complete all work independently without peer interaction.
Too distracting is an excuse and something that is ONLY going to get worse. What is going to be used next ? Too "UGLY", too "PRETTY", too "FAT ? This excuse is absolutely ridiculous and a power play. Power plays like this NEVER work. Especially with teens and lax parents.
1-24-2009 @ 4:26PM
SUSE said...WHAT ENGLAND IS NOT A FREE COUNTRY??? MAYBE THEY SHOULD MOVE TO THE GOOD OLD USA, ( WHOM IF I MAY REMIND YOU KICKED YOUR BUTT IN THE WAR) I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SILLIEST THINGS I HAVE EVER HEARD OF, OF COURSE, ENGLISH PEOPLE ARE SILLY ANYWAY. (AND YES I WILL HAVE TEA AND SCONES WITH THAT.)
1-24-2009 @ 10:50PM
Charles said...the way I see it the girls are not breaking the rules here, Unnatural hair color is blue, green, purple, but blonde is a natural hair color so the headmaster of this school is in the wrong.
1-24-2009 @ 5:00PM
Ellen said...the rule says unnatural color...no where does it say it includes changing your natural color hair to another natural color. if they meant any change of your natural colored hair than the students violated the school rules. if not..no way should they be suspended or put into detention.
one must follow the rules but if it is not stated in the rules, and it is not a distraction to the rest of the school then let it go.
if you don't like it-change the rules for the new school year!
you can't be arbritrary on what the rules mean just because you are the principal. even the principal must abide by the rules.