'In black British culture, black boys have braids.'
A 12-year-old boy may be kicked out of school because his long hair does not fit with their uniform policy.
Farouk James said despite the fact his hair is braided neatly for school, he has been threatened with expulsion if he does not chop off his locks.
The child model said he has already been given several detentions at his London school since April.
His mum, Bonnie, said: ‘His request for an exemption based upon cultural and medical grounds has been refused.
‘The situation is devastating for us as have been made aware the road will lead to permanent expulsion if his hair is now not cut.’
Farouk’s father is from Ghana, where it is encouraged to not cut children’s hair until they are three-years-old.
Bonnie told LBC: ‘I agreed to not cut his hair until he’s three. But obviously we didn’t expect it would grow as much as it did and it just kept on growing.
‘Parents have shown me they have had to chop their child’s hair off, and the devastation it has caused.
‘It’s a part of their identity. You are asking someone to take away a huge part of themselves, to fit in to what is socially expected.’
Farouk’s social media shows him modelling with his long thick hair reaching down his back.
But a recent post shows his hair braided above the collar into a tight bun, but Bonnie said this air style still breaks the ‘interweaving rule’.
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Farouk told First News: ‘In black British culture, black boys have braids.’
Commenters have been quick to show their support for the schoolboy, calling the school’s policy ‘discriminatory’.
Errol Douglas said: ‘Hair discrimination is rooted in systemic racism and erodes trust between students and the education system that is supposed to care for them.
Leave Farouk alone and let him get on with his education, his hair is above his collar, the rules are out of date.’
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