Friction over ‘sexist’ school rules banning boys’ earrings

A mother is calling for a change to a school’s ‘‘sexist’’ uniform policy that allows girls to wear earrings, but not boys.

Jane Matthews, whose son attends Auckland’s Mount Albert Grammar School, said the school’s uniform policy was discriminating based upon gender.

The school’s uniform policy outlines clearly that girls can wear ‘‘one pair of small plain gold or silver ear studs’’ while the same does not go for boys.

Instead, it says any jewellery – other than a watch – worn by boys will be confiscated.

But Matthews calls the policy ‘‘sexist’’ and is appealing to the school board to make sure the same rules apply to male and female students.

Matthews first approached the school in April after her son was pulled up by a teacher for wearing a stud in his ear.

At the time she met with the boy’s dean and later the principal, who she said told her it was not up to them, but the school’s board, to make changes to the rules.

So she decided to ask the board to make a ruling – either everyone can wear an earring, or no one can.

Only a month later the Human Rights Commission released its uniform guidelines, which say student uniforms cannot discriminate against people based on sex or gender.

‘‘We’re not asking for the moon, just that the boys are treated the same,’’ Matthews said.

‘‘I just think that because it’s always been done that way, doesn’t mean it needs to continue on in that vein.’’

But she has seen little movement on the issue since she first spoke to the school and is growing frustrated with the drawn out process.

Delays caused by Covid-19 and school board elections had delayed the board’s decision on the matter, principal Patrick Drumm said.

While he wouldn’t be drawn on where he stood on the policy, Drumm said he wanted to foster an inclusive school environment for students.

The school has this year already made changes to its uniform policy, adding shorts to the girls’ uniform and creating new policies around taonga.

‘‘Hopefully we’re a modern organisation that can adapt with the times,’’ he said.

‘‘We might not move as quickly as some people want us to, but we’re really conscious that students keep changing, the world keeps changing, and you just have to be in tune with that and keep dialogue open.’’

He said the board would be meeting within the next few weeks and the item would likely be on the agenda there.

The non-binding school uniform guidelines, which Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon helped launch in May, provide ‘‘guidance on school uniform policies from a Te Tiriti o Waitangi and human rights lens’’, according to the booklet.

‘‘We’re not asking for the moon, just that the boys are treated the same.’’

Jane Matthews

Upset mum