Award-winning journalist Eva, known for her column in the Daily Mirror every Thursday and as one of the original 3am Girls of the newspaper, shared a personal experience as a parent on her child’s first day of secondary school. She expressed pride in her son’s smart appearance in his new uniform and the subsequent encounter with a teacher at the school who raised concerns about the boy’s haircut not complying with the school’s policy.
Despite believing her son’s haircut was normal and similar to what he had in primary school, the school deemed it “extreme” for being too short. Eva, feeling upset and on the verge of tears, apologized and assured the teacher it wouldn’t happen again. She highlighted the unnecessary division created by such incidents and the impact on children, particularly black students who have faced discrimination over hairstyle choices.
Eva praised St. Albans headteacher Julie Richardson for abandoning strict hair rules, allowing students to embrace diverse hairstyles without facing isolation or missing valuable teaching time. She criticized uniform policies that disregard cultural heritage, citing examples where black schoolgirls were prohibited from wearing braids, causing resentment and harm to the child.
The lack of diversity among school governors was also noted as a contributing factor to such issues, with calls for more inclusive representation to drive positive change in school policies. Eva commended Ms. Richardson’s progressive approach and hoped other schools would follow suit in promoting acceptance and diversity among students.
