Follow the school rules, says Education Minister

By Kimone Witter  

 

 

Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon has declared that there will be a zero tolerance position on student dress and grooming breaches in schools when the September term begins.

 

Dr. Morris Dixon is urging school administrators to ensure that students obey stipulated dress and grooming guidelines.

 

During her keynote address at Wednesday's final day of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) 62nd annual conference in Trelawny, Dr. Morris Dixon said the long-awaited National Student Dress and Grooming Policy, which will provide guidelines on students' designated school clothing and hairstyles, will soon be implemented. 

 

"That's very important. Again I note, and I've said this before, school is not a runway. You go to school to learn. If you have rules around uniform, that's the rule. That's the rule, and I want you to be adamant about that. If the rule is your hair is low-cut, your hair is to be low-cut. I don't understand. I literally do not, I do not understand. And so what this National Dress and Grooming Policy will do is codify that," she asserted.

 

She has implored parents to encourage their children to follow the rules set by their schools.

 

"Because a lot of times that's where the problem is. And so we will have a zero-tolerance on this. Students must wear their uniforms and must follow the rules of the school," pleaded Dr. Morris Dixon.

 

Dress and grooming policies in schools have been the subject of scrutiny and controversy over the years, with frequent complaints from parents that their children are subjected to discriminatory practices because of the length or style of their hair and the fit of their clothes.