Opinion: School grooming rules prepare students for workplaces with dress codes

The recent challenge to Pukekohe High School's ban on beards reflects a growing trend in New Zealand, writes Patrick Walsh.Photo/File.

The recent challenge to Te Puke High School's ban on beards reflects a growing trend in New Zealand by teenagers within secondary schools.

The argument simply put is that section 14 of the Bill of Rights Act 1990 gives every person the right to "freedom of expression". In the school context students and their parents claim that rules on uniform, personal grooming and jewellery inhibit that right since it prevents them from fully expressing themselves.

To be clear we are not talking about "expressions" which have a clear cultural or religious origin such as the turbans worn by Sikhs or long trousers for Muslim boys. To prohibit these would be a clear breach of the Human Rights Act 1993. These variations to schools are well understood and accepted by the staff and students within the school.

The argument advanced in the Te Puke High School case is that having a beard contributed to the student's self-esteem and that a rule on facial hair had no effect on "educational outcomes" so why have it?

I have some sympathy for this perspective but it fails to recognise a key purpose that schools perform on behalf of society. In addition to providing a sound academic education and extracurricular activities to students, they also prepare them for the adult world.

In this "adults world" employers generally have a dress code and expectations about personal grooming, hairstyle and jewellery. They stress that they are part of a team where individuality must be considered alongside what is in the best interests of other employees and the company brand.

High schools do their best to ensure that teenagers are well prepared to meet the legitimate requests of employers with respect to freedom of expression.

If schools are required to accept that rules on personal expression do not impact on learning outcomes and limit expression there is a significant flow-on implication for society. Employers will be subsequently challenged that facial piercings, hair colour and clothing choice have no impact on work performance so should be abandoned.

Clearly draconian rules by schools and employers on personal expression should be challenged as being unreasonable. Secondary school Principals are generally moderate about these rules and know that keeping them is both necessary and desirable for society at large.

Not to do so would set teenagers up for significant conflict and disappointment when they enter the workforce.

Patrick Walsh is principal at John Paul College and former president for the Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand.