The officials explained why the child has the right to be suspended from classes.
Once upon a time, teachers chased girls for short skirts, and boys for torn jeans and sweatshirts. But then gradually they returned to school uniforms. Of course, not as monotonous as in the Soviet years, but nevertheless, schoolchildren were taught to a single style. Now there are no sweatshirts and leggings, but only dark-colored jackets, strict skirts and trousers.
However, adolescents still want to express themselves – if not in clothes, so in their hair. Which is not particularly pleasing to the teachers.
So, the other day in one of the St. Petersburg schools, 15-year-old Yulia risked dyeing several strands of hair pink. And away we go …
“At first, the class teacher threatened to cut her daughter’s hair with her own hands if she didn’t repaint,” says the girl’s father, Andrei. – Then the head teacher joined, who even promised to expel the child. I personally don’t see any crime in pink hair, because Yulia’s grades are good. He brings fours and fives home. There are no questions about discipline either. Well, the girl wanted to experiment – when, if not at the age of 15? “
Yulia was given a week to return to her previous hair color. The girl’s father decided that it was useless to argue with the teachers, and immediately turned to city officials for clarification.
“The issue of the ‘appropriate’ appearance of schoolchildren at the federal level is not regulated – this is just a subject of discussion, – explained Svetlana Agapitova, ombudsman for the rights of the child in St. Petersburg. – Specific wishes in terms of appearance are prescribed in the internal rules of the school. If you wish, you can add colored hair, piercings, and certain clothes and shoes to the list of “prohibited”. By the way, many schools do just that. However, we did not find such a list in the rules of this school. Only “neat hairstyle” and “business style” are mentioned.
However, even if a child did not come to school according to the rules of the school, he can be reprimanded, his parents can be summoned, but he certainly has no right to be expelled for piercing and colored hair.
“The school administration cannot deprive the girl of the right to education because of the“ wrong ”hair color – that would be a violation of the law,” says Svetlana Agapitova. – Only a very serious offense can become the basis for expulsion. Extravagant styling is not one of those. Moreover, it does not in any way affect the level of Yulia’s academic performance ”.
But the children’s ombudsman had questions to the teachers.
The “Code of Ethics” for educators contains guidelines that school staff should refrain from “being rude, biased remarks, undeserved accusations, threats and actions that impede normal communication,” says the ombudsman for children. “If we are guided by these norms, the teacher and the head teacher behaved incorrectly, but not Yulia at all.”
Now let’s remember which celebrity likes to experiment with pink.