Forums Forums Local News Mum defies nose ring ban at Hilbre High

i agree stueymac....if they are going to ban one, they should ban all.....

and i know i am going to throw a spanner up here, but even for religious, personal and cultural reasons nose rings should be banned in our schools....they are a health and safety hazard....

That is true Softy, she has approched it from totally the wrong angle. Had she looked at the hypocritical angle then this would have been some very bad publicicty for the school. However, I feel the educated people that read the story will see that, and should come to the conclusion that it is the school that is in the wrong, and that the parent has just chosen the wrong angle to air the arguement.

Mmmm. Not sure I'd go that far but she may have got more sympathy than she's currently seeing

If a teaching assistant can wear a nose stud, then IMO that is giving off the wrong impression, and will only fuel a debate like this.

Im not sure the parent has the correct arguement here, but the hypocrisy that is obviously going on is fueling the debate.

If there where no teaching assistants wearing nose studs, and no other pupils wearing lips studs, then there would be no ground to argue. As there are others wearing studs I feel the parent is entitled to take the debate, though in this case I feel she is approching it from the wrong angle.

The teaching assistant is an adult and has made a neanderthal decision for herself. The student is a kid and should be protected, anyone who done the piercing should be prosecuted for assault on a juvenile (hate seeing little babies with pierced ears). Always get the impression that these buggers just go around grunting. If the kids nose gets ripped then the parents can take the blame but they will probably try and get compo somewhere along the line.

Adult or not, they are there to set an example. If no nose studs are allowed, then that should be accross the board - not just for pupils.

Had this been a one off case where this was the only person in the school to have a stud, then Id instantly dismiss the parents arguement as she wouldnt have a leg to stand on.

...but when teachers are wearing studs in their nose, what kind of signal does that give out. Sure there are certain rules for the teachers in the school, and certain rules for pupils, but there are some things that should be a set standard accross the board - this being one of them.

When you are in the mob there is one set of rules for the Hofficers and another set of rules for the Herks. The example is......we look down on them and they look up to us. What it does do is get the discipline in. We were there to do as we were told and they were there to tell us what to do, simple. It's a system that works and the kids have got to learn discipline from somewhere. When they get old enough to know what they are doing fair enough. When we got further up the ladder we could do more stuff too. It prepares the kids for adult life. Even in the house there are rules, or there should be, and they are there so that everyone leads an orderly existance and it stops conflict. As soon as conflict starts then that is the idyll ruined.

I see what you are saying Bandy, but this is a school, not one of the forces, its also a local authority maintained school, where pupils go because they have to - they have had no choice in the matter.

I totally agree with learning discipline, but IMO they should be taught by example.

Im going to go against the tide on this one as I believe there IS a human rights issue here. 12 or 42 this girl is entitled to protection under human rights, and she has a right to express herself as all the minorities in society are able to claim. Yes they may wear piercings for religious reasons but that in itself is a personal expression, its an expression of faith. So why cant THIS 12 year old girl express herself with a nose piercing for personal reasons.

We seem to be so wrapped up in making kids conform yet this means that they can grow up with no identity or be bullied for their personal expressions outside of school. How many goth kids get treated like crap by their peers just because they tend to dress different. IMHO this would less likely to happen if students were able to express themselves in school as well.

We are so wrapped up in rules and regulations yet they only apply to some. And this is simply wrong.

Hey teacher, leave those kids alone.

We don't need no education.

I've heard that before somewhere. If you don't have rules there's only anarchy left and we are heading towards that anyway, either that or Sharia, take your pick.

Rules is rules Bandy, but when you were in the forces, were there some things that applied to the lower ranks and the higher ranks?

Its a tough call IMHO, a balance between safety and the right to expression (even for minors). I'm sure the school would be the first in the firing line if that gets ripped out and causes injury, but on the flip side of the coin, a school full of clones that all "conform" isn't ideal either. I once saw a film about that, but I couldn't understand it as the narration was in german...

Yes we do have rules, but they only apply to some in this country.

And if there is one thing kids like to do, its try and "act grown up", mimicking what they see in adults.

As someone who works in a school and has to instruct people who are external to it who work for us, I can say without doubt that the teacher with the nose ring is breaching school rules. I wonde if they are permanent staff - could have been agency/volunteer etc.

I expect external staff to keep jewellery to absolute minimal, tattoos covered, no jeans, just smart-casual attire.

The reason for this?

Because the staff - internal or external - need to set an example. It also has a big impact on pupil behaviour. Someone who loks as if they are in authority by the way they dress, will be able to exercise that authority, and the pupils know where they stand.

Children need clear boundaries for behaviour and authority.

Anyway, this is a tangent.

As already said - the mother should have challenged what was already happening in the school in terms of ignorance of the school uniform policy. The Head should also seriously think about how their staff dress. All staff where I work dress smartly. All male teachers, apart from PE staff wear shirt and tie, even suits. All female teachers dress smartly too - no short skirts, no low cut tops. All non-teaching staff have to stick to black and white.

I think it presents authority and equity. We expect the pupils to respect their school uniform. This isn't something you can do if as adults you are flouting your own set rules.

All our staff are on to kids when they spot uniform is dishevelled. Regular uniform checks are a part of school life. It encourages 'uniformity' (obviously), it also encourages solidarity. School is a community which pupils enter every day. It is in a sense their first place to experience and experiment what it is like to be in the 'outside world'.