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I was talking on Talk Radio yesterday about a 15 year old school girl who has been banned from school as she had her tongue pierced! You can listen to the full interview on my Extras and Experts section of my Sue Atkins Parenting Show. It was funny because I did the interview standing underground at Bond Street station just before jumping on a tube to have a meeting ! People were looking at me as if I was mad. I think that’s the most nerve racking interview I’ve done as I was low on charge on my mobile and I kept wondering if the signal would cut out !
Megan McKnight was removed from her class, seven weeks before her GCSE exams after she went against school rules but her Mum has slammed her daughter’s school after they banned her from lessons when she got a tongue piercing.
Miki, her Mum said she was disgusted that the school would prevent her teen’s education before the crucial exam period.
The fuming mum said: “I could understand it if it was a piercing through her nose but even other students have their noses pierced.
“Megan is so stressed about it and it has thrown her off her revision. She missed core lessons on Friday, it was so petty.
Well, I’m afraid I differ.
All teenagers push the boundaries as that’s when they begin to explore their own values and often challenge yours, but as a former Deputy Head, school rules are school rules and they are there for a reason. All of society has rules and by deliberately bucking them you are teaching your children that the rules don’t matter, to say nothing of the fact that it’s against the law to have a piercing under the age of 16 certainly in Scotland.
The Mum is blaming the school for ‘damaging her child’s education’ but who’s responsibility is it to ‘talk and teach’ her child about the school rules and take responsibility for her part in it?
Her Mum said,’She has been in floods of tears, it is proper affecting her and she could well fail her exams.”
Megan’s first exam is French which takes place on Tuesday, May 16.
Megan said: “They are affecting my grades by taking me out of school – but the piercing isn’t affecting the students or my teachers.
“My options were to remove it or go into isolation and if I refuse I get sent home.
“I said it was ridiculous and tried to go to my lessons because I was missing out.”
Mr Smith the Head said: “As with every school, the dress code or uniform policy is generally unrelated to learning.
“It is much more about adhering to the expectations of your community, and teaching children the importance of meeting these expectations.
“Our Year 11 dress code is based on expectations for a professional environment – for example, all boys wear a suit with a shirt and tie.
My thoughts are why didn’t she wait until she was 16, have the piercing during the long Summer 6 week holidays, and take it out during the school week once it had healed?
Would you let your child of 15 have a tongue piercing ?
Id love to hear your thoughts?
Piercing legislation?
Despite many piercing salons imposing their own age restrictions for body piercings, there is no legal age restriction for any kind of piercing in England and Wales, unlike in Scotland, where people under 16 are required to have a parent’s permission before having ears and other body parts pierced.
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