No lockout for grooming breaches, ministry tells schools

WESTERN BUREAU:

Students who turn up at school in breach of grooming or uniform rules must still be allowed through the school gates, with the Ministry of Education insisting that disciplinary measures should be administered inside the institution rather than by denying children access to classes.

Parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Marlon Morgan, reinforced the Government’s position Thursday while addressing the Region 4 Back-to-School Conference for principals at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, held under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Education through Resilience and Innovation’.

Morgan told principals that even where students breach grooming or uniform rules, they should be admitted and the matter dealt with within the school.

“You would have heard our portfolio minister in recent days, as she addressed the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) conference, making the point that rules are rules,” Morgan said.

“But if a child presents at school, presents for instruction, and is in some way in violation of a school rule, for example, the grooming standards or the uniform, do not have the student locked out of the school.”

He added: “The direction from the ministry is for the child to be admitted and appropriate punishment or remedy administered within the context of the school.”

Morgan’s position follows Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon’s firm stance at last week’s JTA conference that students must comply with school dress and grooming rules.

Morris Dixon said the long-awaited national student dress and grooming policy would soon be implemented and would require schools to have their grooming standards clearly written and shared with parents.

‘THAT’S THE RULE’

“School is not a runway, because you go to school to learn,” she said, insisting that where schools have rules governing uniforms or hairstyles, “that’s the rule”.

She said the new framework would codify schools’ expectations and sanctions, while urging parents to encourage children to follow school rules.

However, Morgan made clear that enforcement must not prevent a child from receiving an education.

“We have an obligation to attend to and cater to the well-being of our children, and we do not want them to come into harm’s way or be susceptible to the vagaries of the elements outside of the school gate,” he said.

He suggested that students could be placed in a designated area while the matter is addressed.

“Whether you are going to place them in a particular space, whatever the arrangement or situation is, administer the discipline within the confines and context of the school,” Morgan said.

The issue has fuelled a years-long national debate over hairstyles, uniforms and the authority of schools to determine acceptable appearance.

The education ministry introduced national Student Dress and Grooming Policy guidelines in 2018. A revised policy developed in 2021 urged schools to balance students’ interests, school-community needs and operational requirements while ensuring consistency with constitutional principles and an inclusive learning environment.

The controversy resurfaced in January 2025 after a McGrath High School student claimed he was prevented from accessing the school because of his hair length. The ministry investigated, while the school maintained that he had breached its grooming rules.

The issue again came to the fore in September 2025 when Calabar High School students were reportedly kept outside over alleged breaches involving hairstyles, belt buckles, buttons and other uniform requirements. The ministry again warned schools against locking students out for dress-code violations.

The ministry now lists a Student Dress and Grooming Policy (draft) among its policy documents.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com