Kamloops girl banned from wearing headscarves
KAMLOOPS – They're pretty and they serve a practical purpose — keeping her bangs out of her eyes.
But officials at Jamie Mitchell's school have told her that if she keeps coming to her Grade 3 class wearing a scarf, "she will no longer be welcome," her mother, Erin, said.
The 10-year-old said she’s worn hairbands in the past to deal with her long hair, but finds the scarves work better.
"I kinda like to wear them," she said.
Alain Blais, principal at Lloyd George elementary, where Jamie has attended since kindergarten has told the family the scarves violate the school’s dress code.
Blais acknowledged he had told Erin Mitchell that her daughter would be allowed to wear a scarf for religious reasons, referring her to the district's policy that says schools, when developing codes or policies, must address "the wearing of hats, hoodies or other headwear, other than for religious reasons."
The principal, new to the school after moving from Alberta, said his position comes from his belief that rules are rules, and it is respectful to remove hats or headwear when entering a building and that the policy avoids a double standard.
"I don’t like that we have to go 50 km/h in town, but that’s the rule," Blais said in an interview. "At some point, there’s no point arguing. I don’t understand the purpose of not following the rules."
Blais said the restriction is needed to deal with students who wear tuques or hoodies, zipped up "so they hide their faces and the teacher can’t see if the students are learning.
"I feel one of the things we are doing is preparing students to be in a workforce and you don’t wear headgear in the workforce," he said, noting the policy is also designed to address the wearing of gang colours.
Mitchell said her daughter wore scarves while in pre-school in Vancouver so her Muslim friend, who also wore a scarf, wouldn’t feel out of place. She sees it as her daughter’s right to express herself.
Blais, however, said he emailed principals at elementary schools in the city and, of those who replied, all agreed with his interpretation of the dress code.
Kamloops-Thompson School District assistant supt. John Churchley said all schools are required to have a dress code and must include provisions that respect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it relates to religious headgear.
Blais said all school policies will be reviewed in the coming year with input from the parent-advisory council — and he has told Mitchell she is welcome to join the committee.
"It will be whatever the staff and parents want," Blais said. "It’s their school. As an administrator, we never win. And, once a final decision is made, we have to all get onboard."
As for Jaime, she said the issue seems strange to her because the scarf doesn’t get in the way of her learning.
She said she doesn’t fidget with it — it just keeps her bangs off her face.
"I like wearing it," she said.
"And I'm getting 10 more of them."
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17 responses
I just sent this email to Mr. Blais. Wonder if anything will come back?Mr. Alan Blais Really? I just saw about that scarf incident? And really? Rules are rules? Man I traversed an entire school system k-12…. and you know what I realized at the end? The system damaged me a lot more than it helped me. It damaged me due to persons with attitudes such as yours. If you’re going to enforce something like no wearing of scarfs as head pieces then you’re the problem not the solution. Thanks for continuing the perpetuation of conformity and the destruction childhood.Just keep grading children, and grooming them to fit nicely into the machine. Well done. Let’s take a look a this quote from you Mr Blais. “I feel one of the things we are doing is preparing students to be in a workforce and you don’t wear headgear in the workforce,”.Preparing students to be in a workforce? So not helping them to become expressive, imaginative, confident, and well rounded human beings… but preparing them for the workforce? Well done, let’s keep grooming those kids to be cogs.Regards. Torrey Eamon Owen.
Scarf, ball cap what’s the diff. Pick your battles
Rules are rules? De Minimis Non Curat Rex Lex? In other words, so what? If good enough for the Court, should be good enough for Mr the Principal. Let the kid be herself. We tell them to align themselves with arbitrary expectations when they are 8, and then to come out of their shells and express themselves when they turn 13, and then we cannot take it when they finally do so at 16. When as adults they dare to voice procedural inconsistencies and fight for their legal rights we tell them again to be quietand docile. One then wonders why we are so conveniently cowardly complacent as a society.
Let her wear her scarf. It is not covering her face.
This is totally rediculous and BULLSHIT!With a capital “B” like really?! Am i really reading this. I never post anywhere ever. But when i read this i was shocked. Mom? You fight for this and dont give up. I too wore a scarf throughout elementary, but around my neck. I was teased, i was insulted and made to feel small. I had a reason too. I had execema so bad it was embarrassing to look at. The scarves made me feel pretty and it hid my rashes.
Hmmm….I would worry a bit about a principal who doesn’t like that we have to go 50km/hr in town!
also good for avoiding head lice.
Barb- thanks for that! However, I see that your “manners rules” state women should take fashion hats off indoors at work? I see school as the work of children. Outside on the playground when it’s their break and time to express themselves to more of an extent- absolutely wear your fashion hat! These rules will likely be changed as society and fashion does anyway though. The more concerning thing is the trend towards not being able or willing to say no to our children.
Aren’t there a lot of concerns in our schools these days more concerning than whether or not a young girl keeps her hair tidy with a pretty scarf ?
if itis doing colorcodes of the relegion, thenwould besome thing to judge.
This principal needs to pick his battles carefully. Clearly this is not meaningful or helpful in any way.
Just an update and correction, since this is my story, Jaime is not 10. She is eight. Incorrect information was posted yesterday.
These little scarfs also help stop the spread of head lice our schools have problems with every year !
you have got to be kidding? it does not hide her face, if they can’t see that then maybe someone needs glasses! it does look cute, definitely serves the purpose & not offensive. with all the problems in the world today, even just in the classroom…this is so minute…..REALLY minute!
This is ridiculous. Rules are rules. Do we live in totalitarion country? That young girls headscarf is obviously not gang colours. Would she banned from wearing her headscarf if she was going through cancer treatment? Headscarves don’t have to be religious or whatever. Scarves are like jewellry. An adornment. If Sikhs and Muslims can wear headpieces then so should this young girl. She is being inventive in keeping her bangs out of her face. Maybe girls shouldn’t be allowed to wear bangs to school. Obviously I should not get on fb when I am in a sounding board mood. Yadda yadda/
Thank you Barb! Today’s generation doesn’t know “manners” anyways.
She’s a child for pete sakes..