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School bans girls from wearing coloured bra to distract boys

Students at The Barlow RC High School also claim school bosses are clamping down on tight pants and short skirts

 

Students at a south Manchester school engulfed in a row over a crackdown on girls wearing make-up now say they’ve been told they can’t wear coloured bras because boys are being ‘distracted’.

Hundreds of people have had their say after 15-year-old Holly Hopkins claimed teachers are patrolling the corridors at The Barlow RC High School in Didsbury armed with wet wipes ordering pupils to remove all traces of cosmetics.

She said girls have been threatened with expulsion and denied access to the canteen unless they cleaned their faces.

Another pupil  and a student’s mother have now come forward claiming teachers have told youngsters they can’t wear coloured bras under their white school shirts because of fears boys are being ‘distracted’.

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Students also claim school bosses are also clamping down on tight pants and short skirts.

The student, who asked not to be named through fear of reprisal, said girls had already been crying because of the ‘make-up’ issue - and that the new rules were causing a ‘massive uproar’.

She said girls had been told they’re forbidden from wearing coloured bras because of fears boys will be ‘distracted’.

Kerry Axon, commenting on the make-up row on Facebook, said: “My daughter goes here. Came home today saying that girls are no longer allowed to wear tight pants, tight skirts or coloured bras because it’s distracting for the boys and if they do they will be sent home.”

Holly Hopkins claimed scores of young women at the school, many of whom suffer from acne, have been left feeling self-conscious after being shouted at by teachers for wearing make-up.

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Holly said teachers have been patrolling the school, make-up wipes in hand, telling students to clean their faces.

Another student said: “All I have had is torture since the half term - teachers screaming in my face telling me to take all my make-up off when I’m crying.

“It’s not fair because I have spots. It’s making us upset and not able to work properly because we are trying to hide and not let people see us because we are not confident.

“It was never this bad until now. We aren’t even allowed concealer or foundation any more.”

The Barlow’s uniform policy, outlined on its website, reads: “Our pupils are ambassadors of the school and are expected to dress and behave in a way that reflects the standards we seek to achieve.”

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Holly said teachers have been patrolling the school, make-up wipes in hand, telling students to clean their faces.

Another student said: “All I have had is torture since the half term - teachers screaming in my face telling me to take all my make-up off when I’m crying.

“It’s not fair because I have spots. It’s making us upset and not able to work properly because we are trying to hide and not let people see us because we are not confident.

“It was never this bad until now. We aren’t even allowed concealer or foundation any more.”

The Barlow’s uniform policy, outlined on its website, reads: “Our pupils are ambassadors of the school and are expected to dress and behave in a way that reflects the standards we seek to achieve.”

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Headteacher Claire McCarron said: “We’re incredibly lucky as a school to have some of the nicest, most articulate, and hard-working students of any school in the country. At the same time our pupils are also fortunate in being taught by an experienced and dedicated staff team who want the very best for all pupils.

“Part of the job of a school is to ensure pupils leave it not just with qualifications that will stand them in good stead in their future careers, but also as well-rounded individuals who can contribute to society and understand the importance of living by society’s rules.

“All pupils and parents are made fully aware of the rules we live by here in school when they first join us, and sign up to a commitment to abide by them.

“We encourage all pupils to be actively involved in all aspects of school life and encourage them to raise concerns about any issues through our Pupil Voice system, but this issue has never been raised in this forum.”

Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk

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