A MUM is facing court, after refusing to pay a fine she received due to her daughter having her ears pierced.
Helen Gent’s daughter Lucille, 14, returned after the May half-term wearing “tiny” stud earrings to Magnus Church of England Academy in Newark, Notts.
But the Year 10 student was told they went against uniform policy due to “health and safety issues” and she was put into isolation.
Helen said the school still refused to allow her back in class even after explaining they would need to stay in for six to eight weeks to heal and avoid the risk of infection.
The 45-year-old took her daughter out of lessons for five days to homeschool her but the teenager returned the following week wearing plastic studs.
Helen claims nobody performed a uniform check on the pupil and there were no further problems until the new school year started.
She then received a letter from the school saying as Lucille was absent for five days, they could take court action, which would jeopardise Helen’s employment.
The academy followed up by sending a letter fining Helen £60 if paid within 28 days or £120 if not paid within that period for “unauthorised absences”.
Taxi driver Helen, of Newark, said: “I said I’m not going to pay, because I didn’t take her out of lessons, that was the school’s choice and I have now received a court summons for criminal action.
“I took her to school to register for classes every single day of those five days, and they refused to let her into class.
“It was not a case of me taking her on holiday, I took her in and they refused her. How is that an unauthorised absence?
“It is just a massive overreaction – I could end up with a criminal record here all over a pair of earrings.
“My daughter loves school, is a straight A student, and has 100 per cent attendance apart from these days. I just can’t get my head around it.
“To get a letter from the CPS essentially asking if I plead guilty or not guilty for sending my daughter to school with earrings is just bizarre.”
Helen had to hire a solicitor as the case is currently in the hands of Nottinghamshire County Council Prosecution Service and she will be taken to court.
She added: “If I win the case, then, obviously, there’ll be no action but if I lose the case and the court decides that I did take her out on an unauthorised absence, then I lose and I will get a criminal record.
WHY is it that students aren't allowed dyed hair, painted nails, tattoos or piercings at school? Surely they should be allowed to express their individuality?
Well, according to Quora, there are five main reasons that such appearance alterations are banned in school.
1. Maintaining a professional appearance
Students are required to stick to the uniform policy in order to present themselves in a professional manner. Doing so helps create a sense of discipline and respect for the learning environment.
2. Safety concerns
In some situations, there could be safety concerns about an appearance change. This would be applicable if someone was to have extremely long hair that wasn’t tied up, for example, as it could get caught in equipment during PE lessons or while playing with friends.
3. Minimising disruption
Many schools have a strict policy regarding students’ appearance in a bid to minimise disruption. Some education centres believe that someone having brightly-coloured dyed hair, or a large piercing, ends up being a distraction to other students, and therefore detracts from the learning process.
4. Preparation for the work place
Many jobs – especially corporate or medical ones – have strict rules regarding appearance, with piercings, tattoos and dyed hair all on the banned list. So preventing the students from having these alterations at schools means they’ll be prepared for not being allowed them when they’ve got a job too.
5. Cultural/social norms
Schools may seek to reflect the norms of what’s considered appropriate or acceptable in different cultures and communities in their policies.
“I am just outraged that the result of me having a criminal record could prevent me from getting employment in the future and it could even affect the job I do currently.
“I’m a taxi driver, I work with vulnerable children and adults. I have got a clear DBS check because of working with children and adults.
“But it’s required as part of my taxi licence, if I then have a criminal record, I would have to ask permission from Newark and Sherwood District Council to set that aside so that I can continue my work as a taxi driver.
“If they decide not to do that, I would be unemployed – this is absolutely ridiculous.”
Helen says she is waiting to hear back from her solicitor and the date for her court case.
The fuming mum previously blasted the “Victorian-style authoritarian policy” as most schools and workplaces allow for simple stud earrings to be worn.
She criticised the uniform policy and branded the state-run school “sexist, archaic and irrelevant.”
Helen said: “I could not believe they were happy for her education to suffer just for wearing a single pair of tiny stud earrings.
“Forbidding a girl from accessing her education due to ear piercing is indirect sexism.
“They are making policies incompatible with human rights and anti-sexism laws. The headteacher said she could be taught in her office in isolation.
“But I think this is a safeguarding issue too, I don’t know of any school which will allow a student to be taught by any teacher by themselves behind closed doors.
“A single pair of tiny stud earrings should not be a problem. It is part of British culture and isn’t relevant to a child’s learning ability.
“It’s basically saying that piercing her ears is shameful and should be punished by removing her valuable education.
“Other schools have the common sense to realise having ear piercings doesn’t affect a child’s ability to learn.
“Even the NHS has revised its policy to allow stud earrings, because they recognise it doesn’t prevent their staff from doing their work and is not a health and safety obstacle.
“A Victorian-style dictatorial, authoritarian policy, using strict military discipline across a standard state school, that reinforces ‘do what I say and not what I do’, is not the best way to get the most out of children.”
Magnus Academy’s policy on jewellery states: “Students may wear a watch however due to health and safety issues and concerns relating to loss of valuable items, students are not allowed to wear jewellery, including earrings and piercings of any kind, during their time at the Academy.”
A Magnus Academy spokesman said: “Our uniform standards are clear and available on our website.
“These have not changed in over six years, and reminders are sent home frequently throughout the year.
“On rare occasions, and where individuals do arrive at school having not followed our uniform policy, we always give them an opportunity to correct this.
“If they do not, or cannot correct their uniform, we provide work, along with full teacher support, for them to complete elsewhere within the school.
“We do not exclude for uniform breaches, and work with families to resolve them quickly.”
