Vent - Sexism within schools - Boys & Earrings

elsien

I think it can be a good thing to teach kids its ok to challenge things as long as its done sensibly and appropriately. And they understand that their challenge might be rejected and they need to deal with it without getting arsey, and that with rights come responsibilities, and sometimes you have to back down. Stops us all from turning into sheep.

arbroath_lass

k12479 wrote: »

A lot of other settings, e.g. a typical office, wouldn't allow earrings for men but would for women, if not as a written rule, as an expectation. School rules like this reflect that.

I've worked in many offices over the past 30 years. Not one has discriminated against men by banning earrings.

If they're banned for men in a workplace then they should be banned for women in the same workplace.

Are you saying we should NEVER challenge inequalities? Or maybe just not the ones you agree with?

Sadly, the OP will probably find that the school bans earrings for all pupils if their son challenges it. Which will just make it harder for his son.

Storck

Azari wrote: »

Sometimes, where there is no overall discrimination (i.e. there are plenty of schools at all levels for both boys and girls), these things are intentional exceptions in the legislation. Sometimes it's simply because no one has ever fought it and the status quo has remained in place.

After all, generally, what kind of parent would want their child to be the only boy in a girl's school?

I'm not sure which is the case where a whole school is dedicated to one sex.

However, I'm pretty certain that there is not a general exception that allow boys and girls to be subjected to different rules.

That's why I suggested that the OP ask the school which piece of the legislation they were relying upon to support their overt discrimination.

They are probably relying on the fact that no case has ever gone to court over the fact. Which is a good basis to make the decision. It has never shown to be illegal so why change it on the off chance that it might be.

pollypenny

My gut reaction was that its not worth making a fuss over.

It also reminds me of a boy who expected the school to 'keep spare earring backs.'

Ronaldo_Mconaldo

I say go for it. Fight the school to the ends of the earth. Just generalising here, but i'm guessing that your son likes a bit of attention and is in the bottom half of the classes he's in. Maybe taking after his parents from years gone by? Doing this kind of look-at-me behaviour might get him a bit of noteriety that might help him to feel like a someone in the future when he's pushing shopping trolleys round an Asda car park because he wasted his time fighting this pointless discrimination cause while his friends got on with their education.

His name's not Darren is it?

mikeandrach_2

the key point has been missed, why does a 14 year old boy want to wear girls jewellery? and as a parent why are you letting him?

arbroath_lass

mikeandrach wrote: »

the key point has been missed, why does a 14 year old boy want to wear girls jewellery? and as a parent why are you letting him?

The OP did not say their son wore girls earrings just earrings?

Men have worn earrings for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Not just sailors either. Have you seen the "Chandos" portrait of Shakespeare?

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw11574/William-Shakespeare

Storck

arbroath_lass wrote: »

The OP did not say their son wore girls earrings just earrings?

Men have worn earrings for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Not just sailors either. Have you seen the "Chandos" portrait of Shakespeare?

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw11574/William-Shakespeare

You do know Shakespeare didn't exist don't you.

ILW

Why would you want your son looking like some sort of p!key chav?

JReacher1

The key point is not the idiotic one from mikeandrach but the fact if it goes to court and the OP's son does win all that will happen is the school bans all jewellery for boys and girls. This will mean he's hated by all pupils at the school. I would question whether it's worth it!