School rules are something everyone can relate to, whether one has pleasant or bitter memories of their own school days.
Some rules, such as not wearing jewelry during sports activities, make sense, but it seems unwise to send someone home for things like excessive makeup or bringing in an illegal soft drink.
When children are at an age where they want to stand out and be themselves, the rules and regulations imposed by schools on their appearance can be stifling.
A mother and her 8-year-old son feel that the rules go too far, and as a result, the young boy could be deprived of a quality education.
The magnificent hair of Londoner Farouk James has caught the attention of modeling agencies. After participating in photo shoots in New York and Italy, he now earns a living as a child model.
However, his appearance has caused problems in school, and several schools have rejected him solely because of the length of his hair.
Bonnie Miller, James’s mother, shared that she was told that her son’s long hair was an issue at school.
According to Bonnie, Farouk’s father is Ghanaian; that’s why his parents waited until he was three years old to shave his head.
“At that point, he was attached — and so was I, to be honest — to his beautiful hair,” Bonnie told CBS News. “We just let the hair grow.”
In the United Kingdom, where the family resides, most schools prohibit boys from having long hair, even though it is acceptable for girls. Bonnie argues that it is a violation of children’s rights to force them to cut their hair.
“I will not stop trying to persuade governments to put in place legislation to protect children from these outdated and punitive rules,” wrote his mother, Bonnie, on Instagram.
“Farouk has done nothing wrong, and YOU ARE REJECTING HIM! He will say goodbye to his friends as they all get accepted into the schools he desperately wants to attend.”
Because of this, Bonnie has even started a petition on Change.org to ban hair discrimination in the United Kingdom.
“We are assembling a real team, and we’re calling it the Mane Generation,” Bonnie said. “We will fight until these rules change. And this is about the whole world, not just the UK.”
Over a quarter of a million people follow the Instagram account managed by Farouk’s mother, highlighting the boy’s life as a fun-loving child model.
However, despite all the positive comments they receive, they continue to face hateful comments.
Bonnie stated that she received a lot of hate mail after appearing on “This Morning” in the UK to talk about the family’s search for a school that will accept Farouk and his hair.
“This week is Mental Health Week, so I’m surprised to be getting a lot of negative comments about Farouk’s hair,” Bonnie wrote last May.
“Farouk’s hair is a part of him, and he won’t cut it to appease anyone, just as he doesn’t keep it long at my request either.”
According to Bonnie, several schools have policies against students wearing dreadlocks or braids because they are considered racially biased.
The mother is committed to continuing the fight for Farouk and other children facing prejudice because they want to express their ethnic identity through their hair.
In the year 2022, it is unacceptable for people who are entrusted with teaching our children to reject a child because of their hair. Farouk’s hair is part of who he is. These rules need to be banned.
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