Students at a Melbourne school are fighting back after an email from the principal banned mullets and dreadlocks, as well as nail polish, piercings and make up.
An email from Emmanuel College Principal Dr Janine Biggin even went as far as describing the hairstyles as “excessive”.
But the students, however, disagree, saying the look is “a popular Australian hairstyle”. They asked why appearences are “much more important than their education and wellbeing” in a publicly available open letter.
“Dreadlocks are commonly worn by people of colour, and due to them being deemed as unacceptable, it raises questions and concerns of racial bias within the College,” one student said in an open letter.
“Mullets are a popular Australian hairstyle and it’s unclear why it is deemed as unacceptable, as many students have mullet hairstyles already despite the expectations and are often not extreme.”
As a mullet-wielder myself, I have no choice but to agree.
But Biggin has defended the rules, telling The Herald Sun they maintain clear expectations for student appearance and grooming.
“As always, ongoing listening to the voice and views of our young people is also an important consideration,” she said.
Emmanuel College isn’t the only school that has waged war on the iconic trim. In April, a Sydney private school told students that if they arrived with mullets, they would be fined $20 and sent to a hairdressers or told to go home.
