[UPDATED] Ministry, stakeholders to meet in July for school hair policy talks
REPRESENTATIVES from the Education Ministry, as well as its stakeholders, will meet on July 6 to discuss issues surrounding policies for hairstyles at schools.
Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly confirmed this to Newsday on Thursday.
This follows a recent controversy where some students from Trinity College, Moka, were not allowed to cross the stage and collect their certificate with their classmates during their graduation.
Form five and six students of the Maraval-based Anglican school graduated at the All Saints Anglican Church, Port of Spain on Tuesday.
A Facebook post by the relative of one of the students has since gone viral, in which she claimed several male students were "segregated."
The post is accompanied by a photo showing the hairstyles of the students, which included plaits, canerows and short curls.
The school's rules and guidelines booklet says students' hair must be "worn short, neat and appropriate for school as determined by the college."
Many people have since slammed the school for the incident.
Gadsby-Dolly also took to Facebook to say the incident was unfortunate and regrettable. But she added that "societal order depends on rule keeping."
She said a critical conversation has arisen from this issue, "which speaks to the standardisation of the rules and removal of subjectivity which surrounds school hairstyles, especially for male students.
"The time for this conversation in TT has come, and decisions will be taken for implementation in the upcoming academic year, based on the Ministry of Education's discussions with our valued stakeholders."
Asked for a timeline for these discussions, Gadsby-Dolly told Newsday: "The (ministry) has already sent invitations to stakeholders for a meeting on Thursday July 6, 2023, to discuss the issue and some initial proposals."
In addition, president of the school's PTA, Jewel Thomas, told Newsday the association will meet on Thursday evening to discuss the incident and the way forward.
She said, "We are looking to use it as an opportunity for constructive dialogue moving forward with all school stakeholders."
WOMAN AT CENTRE OF 2019 SCHOOL HAIR ROW CHEERS ON GRADUANDS
In 2019, then St Stephen's College student Kalika Morton and her mother, Leiselle Morton-Taylor reported to the Education Ministry that she unfairly targeted by school officials for almost two years because of her natural hairstyle (Bantu knots, twists and canerows) and the ministry ordered a report. She was 15 years old at the time.
St Stephen's College is also an Anglican school.
Speaking with Newsday on Thursday, Morton said when she saw the post about the boys, she felt like she was experiencing PTSD.
"I was taken aback. We still going through this in 2023?
"It's graduation, they want to look special, those are the main hairstyles now..."
She said older generations seem to struggle with understanding that times have changed.
"It's time to accept it. It's so frustrating that we can't accept our own."
She said she could understand such responses if a student's hairstyle is "outrageous" but that neither her's nor the boys' own were like that.
Asked what advice she would give to the affected students, she said: "Continue being you and don't allow it to bring you down. You're not doing wrong in any way."
An emotional Morton-Taylor told Newsday she was flabbergasted and disgusted when she learnt about the issue.
"The boys' hair did not grow overnight. I'm sure they had it like that all term," she said.
"I hope the parents continue to stand with their children and do not back down.
"This is 2023. Come on! I don't know what we have to do again."
She said the hairstyles of all the affected students looked "very neat."
ANGLICAN BOARD MUM
Newsday tried calling Anglican bishop Claude Berkley, as well as dean of the Holy Trinity Cathedral Shelley-Ann Tenia but calls went unanswered.
Newsday was told Berkley is not in the country. Representatives from the board's office said the only other person who can comment on the matter is vicar general Edwin Primus.
When Newsday called his office on Thursday morning, it was said that he would be back in office after lunch. Several, further calls after 12pm went unanswered up to press time.
The board is yet to comment on the incident.
In addition, representatives from the Anglican Education Board told Newsday it is not responsible for Trinity College, Moka, and advised that Tenia should be contacted.
During the graduation ceremony, parents and students began shouting and cursing in protest.
Tenia intervened and, in a video circulating online, urged parents to "behave like the adults that we would like our young people to become in a few years' time.
"It is an absolutely free country. And so, if there are some adults here now who are unable to stay here respectfully, I understand.
"If you feel like you cannot stay here and be respectful and participate, you have a choice. There are three available exits."
Newsday also contacted former Trinity College principal and calypsonian Llewellyn "Short Pants" Mac Intosh for a comment. However, he said he preferred not to comment and to leave it up to the Education Ministry. He added that public feedback on the incident has "almost become like an overkill."
Mac Intosh was principal at the school from 1997-2008.
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"[UPDATED] Ministry, stakeholders to meet in July for school hair policy talks"