Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz
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@No-Quarter said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
I agree @Crucial it's a stupid rule and should be called out. The length of someone's hair is completely irrelevant to education, or the workforce for that matter. I can't actually think of a single job that doesn't allow long hair? Hardly "preparing him for the real world". I work in a corporate environment and there are plenty of guys with longer hair. The only thing that comes to mind is some jobs requiring it be tied back for H&S reasons.
Are there equally stupid rules in your workplace that don't make sense, but you have to go along with? I could grow my hair down to my knees where I work for all that it matters or they care... but there are plenty of other nonsensical rules that require either obeying or leaving if I don't want to follow them...
I wouldn't die in a ditch defending the school over it, but I do wonder about the mother going to the Herald in the hope of overturning it too...
I'd wonder about the Herald for running the story too... but the days of having any expectations of our media are long gone.
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@Donsteppa to be honest no, there aren't really any nonsensical rules at my workplace that I can think of. Most of the rules are to do with health and safety or common decency, which make perfect sense. If my workplace suddenly decided all men have to cut their hair short there'd be a LOT of push-back from staff I imagine.
I think rules, like the law, should be refined over time. Just because something made sense 50-100 years ago doesn't mean it still makes sense today, and organisations should constantly evolve and adapt. It's a shit rule and it doesn't make sense.
I agree with the second part of your post 100% though. It's not news-worthy, it's not even important. If the majority of students/parents feel strongly about it then they can petition the school to review it. One woman crying to the media, while having her poor sons face plastered all over the internet, is shit from both her and the Herald for reporting it.
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There was a similar story about a guy with long hair being denied enrolment at a school a few years back. I can't remember the exact details but I don't think the school changed their stance then either, as is their right. Looking like one of the Hanson brothers in this instance probably doesn't help!
One thing I would say is that school's hair standards have changed over the years. I'm not talking about from the 1970s where long hair was often the norm but from the 80s and 90s to now. My old school does require hair length to be above the collar now but it certainly wasn't enforced when I was there.
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@Donsteppa Please stop posting on this thread.I'm running out of likes.
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@Chris-B. said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
@Rembrandt said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
@taniwharugby If you want to live as another gender then that's great and fine but you can't expect the entire world to change overnight just to fit you in.
That's the key point, really. A bit of self-awareness to recognize that society is a give and take deal. If society will accept your gender-reassignment that's all good. But, then surely you recognize that the process has given you significant advantages that shouldn't be exploited.
If you want an Olympic gold medal then get it before you start your treatments - like Bruce Jenner!
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@Chris-B. said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
Actually, it was Bruce who won the medals.
Caitlyn probably wouldn't be eligible to enter the Men's decathlon.
It's easy to forget, given what an absolutely colossal fucked up weird fluffybunny that Bruce/ Caitlyn is, that Jenner was a world class athlete back in the day.
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look at all you grumpy old curmudeonly fluffybunnies. Times they are changing lads, and rules should too. Long hair doesn't mean shit now, every 2nd young professional has a fucking man bun, and not just professional coffee makers either.
Bringing up workplaces, and "preparing for the real world" (oooohhhh) i work for a family company, and the owners are in their late 60s and very traditional (okay less so now that one of their sons is married to another dude). They used to have very strict appearance guidelines for any hiring. Considering this is tourism, that got challenging. Even they learned that the standards that used to apply no longer do, and we have some outstanding team members who previously wouldn't have made it through the interview.
A school requiring short back and sides with a neat part is some archaic shit. They are kids for fucks sake.
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@MN5 He was an assclown even in those days. I can recall we were cheering for anyone to beat him in Montreal, but he won easily - completely buried all his closest competitors in the final 1500 metres.
He had an idiot blonde wife in the crowd who got lots of coverage shrieking "Bruce, Bruce, I love you Bruce"!!!
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@mariner4life said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
look at all you grumpy old curmudeonly fluffybunnies. Times they are changing lads, and rules should too. Long hair doesn't mean shit now, every 2nd young professional has a fucking man bun, and not just professional coffee makers either.
Bringing up workplaces, and "preparing for the real world" (oooohhhh) i work for a family company, and the owners are in their late 60s and very traditional (okay less so now that one of their sons is married to another dude). They used to have very strict appearance guidelines for any hiring. Considering this is tourism, that got challenging. Even they learned that the standards that used to apply no longer do, and we have some outstanding team members who previously wouldn't have made it through the interview.
A school requiring short back and sides with a neat part is some archaic shit. They are kids for fucks sake.
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@Bovidae said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
@canefan So he needs corn rows? I bet if he was good at rugby/cricket they'd make an exception.
When I was up at AGS watching a 1st XV game a few years back there were just as many Asians as PIs at the school.
Yeah that is true, I was being glib. I live not far from Grammar, it's all short and clean haircuts. Most kids want to fit in, why would you want to draw attention to yourself in this way?
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@Bovidae said in Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz:
@canefan So he needs corn rows? I bet if he was good at rugby/cricket they'd make an exception.
When I was up at AGS watching a 1st XV game a few years back there were just as many Asians as PIs at the school.
There's something in the article about him being one of the top ranked cricketers in his age group.
his mum looks like Brandi off storage wars.
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@mariner4life Well I'm a curmudgeonly old fluffybunny. When I first went to Whangarei Boys' in 1973 we weren't allowed long hair. Short back and sides only.
The school used exactly the same arguments about preparing young men for the harsh world outside that was full of rules we wouldn't like. It was character building. It was about respect for the school, the community, and ourselves. Long hair was dirty (by which standard the Girl's High up the road must have been quite the filthy pit). It was dangerous because we might have to use machinery in woodwork class. In rugby matches other players wouldn't be able to help themselves from pulling it.
They were horseshit arguments then and they still are now. The rule was in fact arbitrary and served no purpose. Later that year they relented because Mums called them out. Just like this case, they used the local newspaper. At a meeting my own Mum told them rules were fine, but don't try and enforce your prejudices on kids, it just shows you up as small-minded and mean. Yay Mum.
Frankly I can't believe that nearly 45 years later the same arguments are still going on. Schools need rules, but they don't need to be piston wristed gibbons about it.