By Gavin Mackintosh-
London secondary school students have been called “heroes”, after a protest prompted the headteacher to change a series of policies which were accused of being discriminatory against Muslim and Black students.
Angry students protested against Pimlico Academy’s uniform policy, introduced last year which included a ban on hairstyles that “block the view of others” and guidance that headscarves had to be “conventional and understated in style”. The first policy triggered complaints from students and parents this this resulted in a ban on Afro haircuts, while the second was said to have caused upset among Muslim students.
Students walked out of the school early on Wednesday morning in protest over a range of issues, including the uniform policy, chanting “we want change”.
Parents and some staff at Pimlico academy were upset over the recent changes, which culminated in a large-scale protest on Wednesday morning.
Stipulations around the wearing of hijabs included rules that state “if students choose to wear a headscarf, it must completely cover the hair”. There is a list of complaints, purportedly from students, saying: “This is harmful and insensitive towards girls who have just started to wear the hijab or are struggling with it. It is a personal choice which shouldn’t be decided by authorities who haven’t experienced this.
The protest was originally organised to take place on a football pitch within the school grounds, but school staff tried to obstruct the protests by blocking the gates to the pitch were allegedly locked by school staff.
Students instead gathered in the main grounds, just outside the main entrance, holding banners saying: “Black Lives Matter” amid chants of: “We want change.” The protest took place throughout the morning, and several police officers were present after being called by the school.
A statement on behalf of students railed against “racism, Islamophobia and transphobia” and said pupils were angry at a lack of recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The measures were stripped from the dress code. The school also removed the union flag from outside the building and said a review would take place.
In a letter sent to parents, headteacher Daniel Smith said: “We acknowledge that this symbol is a powerful one which evokes often intense reactions. We have listened to the concerns of students, parents and the wider community about it.
“After Easter, we will conduct a review of this and, as part of that, consult with all the academy’s stakeholders to elicit their feedback. In the meantime, and until that review is concluded, the Union flag will not be flown at the academy.”
He added: “Our students are bright, courageous, intelligent young people, passionate about the things that matter to them and acutely attuned to injustice. I admire them hugely for this thought I regret that it came to this.”