Te Puke High School facial hair policy change welcomed

Sheldon Pirini, 16, was barred from class due to his facial hair in February. Photo / George Novak

Disputes over school students sporting facial hair are growing more common as students and parents have begun to push harder against the rules. An Auckland Grammar student is taking his school to court while closer to home, Te Puke High School has changed its policy after a parent fought for a rule change. Bay of Plenty Times journalist Jean Bell checks in with a father and son who helped make the change happen.

Students at Te Puke High School are now allowed to have "clean and tidy" facial hair in a recent school policy change.

This follows a student's father pushing back at the school after he said his intellectually challenged son was "stood down" due to his facial hair.

The policy was previously that male students must be clean-shaven. This has been changed to allow facial hair that is clean and tidy.

The changes to the policy were released to the Bay of Plenty Times under the Official Information Act.

Parent Jayson Prini, who said his son Sheldon had been barred from class due to his facial hair, said he was pleased with the outcome.

"We're really stoked. We never thought it'd work out."

Sheldon is now back at school and enrolled back in his two mainstream classes.

"He got back into school with no problems. It couldn't have turned out better," Pirini said.

"He seems a lot happier too."

He previously told the Bay of Plenty Times his son Sheldon, 16, was a learning-unit student - a class for students with learning challenges - and "has the mental age of a 10-year-old".

Sheldon Pirini, 16, was barred from class due to his facial hair in February. Photo / File

He said Sheldon had been barred from attending his two mainstream classes before being "stood down" for two days in March because he followed his father's instructions not to shave, against school rules.

Pirini did not want his son to shave as he felt it stripped students of their individuality and personal freedoms. He was told to take the complaint to the school's board of trustees.

"The board of trustees has been great, we can't thank them enough."

He encouraged other parents to take their concerns to the board if needed.

"I think people put issues in the too-hard basket but going to the board helps a lot. They're the ones who make the rules."

When asked about the policy change, Te Puke High School principal Alan Liddle said, in a written statement, the board of trustees had consulted students, staff, parents/caregivers and the community about the change.

"Following on from this consultation, the board of trustees made the decision to change the policy regarding facial hair.

"Te Puke High School Board of Trustees has always held the position that students, staff, parents/caregivers and the community are able to make proposals for the board of trustees to consider," he said.

Board chairman Andy Wickers chose not to comment when asked by the Bay of Plenty Times about the policy change.

The Ministry of Education's deputy secretary sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said school boards of trustees have the discretion to make and enforce school rules on a wide range of matters, including facial hair.

"In making its rules, a board of trustees must comply with a range of legislation such as the Bill of Rights Act, including rights such as the right to freedom of expression," she said.

She said schools should communicate clearly about rules and be happy to explain them or answer questions.

"They should also be open to discussing an individual's needs and how these might be affected by school rules. This is important as it means parents can make informed choices when deciding which school to send their children to."