Students furious after school bans them from sporting beards or facial hair

17 October 2023 , 17:42

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Male pupils are banned from sporting facial hair (Image: Getty Images)

Pupils are furious after a school banned them from sporting beards and facial hair.

Colchester Royal Grammar School in Essex (CRGS) forbids most of its students from growing facial hair. Despite it being a long-standing policy, an upset student said it has only recently started to be enforced. They claim pupils are punished with detentions and even exclusions if they refuse to go clean-shaven.

The anonymous pupil said: “While I understand that schools may establish these rules to make sure students are well groomed, I believe it is essential to consider the diverse and individual needs of the students. Facial hair is a natural aspect of adolescence and puberty, and enforcing the removal might infringe upon personal choices and their own rights.”

They added some students are “singled out” which has “caused students to be angry”. A spokesman for the school said only sixth formers are allowed to grow facial hair, though exceptions are made for religious reasons. He confirmed: “All students from Years 7 to 11 are, however, requested to be clean shaven.”

Rule is in place at Colchester Royal Grammar School in Essex (stock photo) (Getty Images)

The school said the policy “has been consistently applied” and that it has never been queried, acknowledging that its behaviour policy “is, and should be, regularly reviewed”. It added: “The current policy was written with the support of the student body during the last academic year.

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“If students feel strongly about this matter then there are platforms such as the student council so that they can raise issues that are important to them. We would welcome any such conversation.” A statement posted on the school’s website in 2019 reminded parents “the boys are not allowed very short or long hair or any extreme styles, facial hair or piercings”.

“We respect that it is a parent’s right to choose for their child to attend CRGS, if offered a place, and we would expect these aspects to have been considered before accepting the place at our school,” it added. In 2019, a school in Bracknell U-turned on its decision to ban its pupils from growing facial hair after receiving backlash from students and their parents.

Harrison Moore