School is not a fashion runway but we need balance and order, says Morris Dixon

Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon says the right balance is needed to address the grooming issues in schools which surfaced again recently at the McGrath High School in Treadways, St Catherine, after a male student was allegedly barred from classes because of his hair.

Responding to a question during the post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, Morris Dixon said a new grooming policy has been drafted and is being circulated among stakeholders, such as principals, student councils and the church, as consultations continue.

While admitting that the issue is a perennial one, the education minister appeared to be firm in her stance that order must be maintained in educational institutions.

"There are a couple things we have to balance; we have to balance order, something that we struggle with as a country; and we have to ensure that order is maintained in our educational institutions," Morris Dixon said.

"We also understand that as young people they want to express themselves in different ways. It may be in hair, in dress, in other things, but the key thing we know is that school is not a fashion runway, school is about a place of learning and for us our focus is on learning in our schools and ordered learning in our schools," she added.

She also noted concern by students that some rules are harsh, and stressed that school rules must be fair.

"We understand that times change and you have to look at things differently, that's why we have the consultations ongoing," she pointed out.

- Carl Gilchrist

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