Move over long hair fails

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 1

Move over long hair fails

A move to rescind a ruling by the Linwood High School board of governors on boys’ hair length was defeated at the board’s monthly meeting last evening. "Those brave men who have just scaled Mount Cook have long hair,” said Mrs E. Graham, the only woman member of the board. “And very few employers today demand short hair from , their employees.” Introducing her motion of rescission, Mrs Graham said that newspaper reports in : the last week “have highlighted the issue of boys at--1 tending school with long hair.*?

She said she could not feel that so trivial a matter as the length of a boy’s hair should be such a major issue

between students and their teachers. “At Linwood High School when boys contest this matter with their teachers they are told that it is a ruling of the board of governors which the teachers must see is carried out,” she said. Mrs Graham said she felt very strongly that such a body had not the right to deprive students of a personal freedom which could not be denied them in the community at large. "Moreover, we do a disservice to teachers, many of whom have long hair, to expect them to enforce a rule of this natuii, on students

when some of them must believe themselves that length of hair should be a matter of personal decision,” said Mrs Graham. She said that the ' headmaster (Mr J. ’Orman) had always claimed that parents were glad to have ■ teachers insist that students have their hair cut. “I feel it is undignified for teachers to act as policemen for parents,” said Mrs Graham. “There is a need for a revaluation of the needs of sixth and seventh forms.” According to Mrs Graham, the unrest apparent in all schools at this level would be fanned to greater heat by teachers making important an issue as trivial as hair length. Replying Mrs Graham,

Mr Orman said that the matter was not that of hair length but of general grooming. “We don’t get too concerned about hair until it is shoulder length,” said Mr Orman. When young people went for jobs they were expected to be well groomed. "Anyway, there are not many boys at school with long hair,” said Mr Orman. “I don’t expect them to have their hair as short as mine but I do expect them to be well groomed.” On the subject of concessions, Mr Orman said the regulations only demanded that the boys have a “normal short haircut" and “they don’t have to wear caps.” Mrs Graham’s was the only vote in favour of her motion.