Dreadlock holiday forced on student

By STUART DYE

Within an hour of arriving back in school for the new term, a 14-year-old was kicked out for having dreadlocks.

Tu Ko Tahi Saunders has been told he is not welcome back at Whangarei Boys' High until he either has the dreads pulled out, or has his head shaved. The teenager grew his hair so dreadlock extensions could be fused over the term break.

His father, Kara Whareumu, said the style was a tribute to kapa haka, at which his son had represented the school at national competition.

"His hair has nothing to do with his learning," said Mr Whareumu. "He is an excellent student and that's not changed because his hair is different."

Tu Ko Tahi, who has played rugby for his school, said yesterday that he did not want to be expelled, but wanted to keep his new hair style.

"I didn't realise I wasn't allowed it and now I don't know what to do."

Green MP Nandor Tanczos said the school's attitude was "absolutely ridiculous".

"To deny a young man his education because of his hair style shows a bizarre obsession with standards over educational benefit."

Mr Tanczos said he could not imagine why anyone would want extensions and not the real thing, but said the school needed to concentrate on the study habits, not the personal grooming, of its students.

"It shows a total disregard for the wellbeing of our young people. We should be encouraging individual expression and creativity, not stifling it," he said.

But headmaster Al Kirk said Tu Ko Tahi would remain away from the school until "common sense prevailed".

He had not been suspended or expelled, but school policy ruled that students had to be "clean and tidy at all times with no extremes, such as mohawks or dreadlocks".

If the teenager refused to change his hairstyle then he faced being stood down for continual disobedience. Mr Kirk said uniform and standards were one of the key planks to the school structure and everyone within the school community was aware of that.

His stance had the backing of the local Ministry of Education office and he would write to Mr Whareumu explaining the situation.

"Hopefully common sense will prevail. There are other good schools in the town that allow dreadlocks, but we don't.

"The rules are clear and everyone knows about it."