[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by JoshBB

Yes but the school set the rules. I don't understand why it's a rule in the first place, like it looks a bit tacky imo so that's why I personally wouldn't have it done on myself but that's no reason to enforce what other people can do.

Individual freedom

I am becoming as tired of seeing the words; "Individual Freedom" as I am the words; "Xenophobia" and "Racism".

In the West, we enjoy GREAT "Individual Freedom".

From waking to retiring, I go about my business and live my life without the Police, Security Services or any other 'Official Bodies' detaining me, stopping me or questioning me.

I am free to do ANYTHING I want to do - why I can even hang upside down naked in my bedroom and watch Maggie Thatcher speeches whilst whipping my bare backside with a vaseline covered kipper if I want to.

Among a myriad things I CANNOT do, is shout and bawl in a Public Library, play for my local football club whilst naked, or enter most restaurants and nightclubs in a dirty vest, underpants and training shoes.

Why? Because ALL these organisations have rules, rules which have been devised for specific and very relevant reasons, whether we can discern such reasons or not (though the reason for most rules are logically apparent) and if I or any other person want to be a member of such organisations, then we will be required to adhere to those rules.

Schools are organisations, and despite some of the inane views on here, 'uniformity' and 'conformity' within a school, are NOT indications of some sinister 'Government Program' to surreptitiously turn our children into 'mindless' State-Controlled 'Stepford Citizens', but rather a time-honoured method of instilling discipline and self-pride in them.

Death is the 'Great Leveller', but there are numerous 'Great Levellers' in life, and Snow is one of them. The shabbiest 'poor man's' garden looks no better or worse than the 'rich man's rolling manicured acres under a foot of snow, and School uniforms and other obligatory 'appearance' codes are other 'Great Levellers', because they make it more difficult to differentiate between poorer children and their wealthier counterparts.

Something such as the (ludicrous) hairstyle in the OP may seem trivial to some, but it is not. The child is receiving a FREE education - probably the greatest gift she will ever receive - and conformity to the rules of the organisation is NO price to pay for enjoying the benefits of 'membership'.

It is her inadequate and stupid parents to blame because they are displaying crass arrogance in defying the school rules.

Where does relaxing the perfectly sensible rules end? with rich kids turning up for school in Dolce and Gabbana D & G, clutching Prada or Louis Vuitton bags in lieu of satchels, and sporting Patek Phillipe watches?

Parents such as the mother in the Op's photo would be the very FIRST to complain about such 'inequality' if the above was the case.

I believe that all the schools I know of are generous in their tolerance of pupils 'individuality' to a degree, but schools are seats of learning NOT nightclubs or fashion shows and if parents desire their children to 'stand out', then studying hard in school and achieving the highest grades possible is the correct way to achieve this.

For those who still whinge about our 'Individual Freedom' within the UK, then with apologies to JFK and his; "Lass’ sie nach Berlin kommen” speech, I say "Let them come to North Korea, Saudi Arabia, or Syria", or anyone of a hundred other countries.