‘They’re only hair clips’... school bans on JoJo bows upset parents
THEY are the latest must-have hair accessory among tweenage girls, but now the “JoJo bow” has been banned from school classrooms across the UK after teachers ruled they were distracting children from studying.
The oversized and often brightly coloured bows are the latest craze to hit the playground, and are being worn by thousands of junior-age children to decorate a scraped-back ponytail.
Sold exclusively at tween-focused retailer Claire’s Accessories, the clips are inspired by JoJo Siwa, a 13-year-old American YouTube and reality television star. The young dancer, who has more than two million Instagram followers, found fame after appearing on the US show Dance Moms.
The move has angered many parents who have paid up to £12 each for JoJo bows for their children, with many taking to social media to voice their feelings.
However, their protests are likely to fall flat as according to Department for Education guidelines, schools are within their rights to exclude the bows. David Burgess, chair of the Schoolwear Association, said he thought the ban was “fair enough” as they were potentially distracting for children.
He said: “Primary schools have to have a very strict uniform policy as it can be disruptive if children are wearing or doing something different. It takes away from their learning.
“Schools want everyone to be the same and not to have the latest thing. JoJo bows are quite extravagantly large.”
Sawley Junior School in Nottingham, which is among those that have outlawed the bows, said the decision was made because they are not part of the school uniform.
Chris Ashey, head of Fairfield Community Primary, Bury, Lancs, which has also banned the bows, said: “We have a massive curriculum now in primary schools and there is simply no time for added distractions like this.”
Despite headteachers saying they are a nuisance in the classroom, some parents have complained that the measures are a step too far.
One mother said her daughter had spent all her birthday and Christmas money, worth more than £100, on the bows. Another told the Manchester Evening News: “I really can’t see any problem with the JoJo bows. They make out like it’s a gun or something really bad, but come on, they’re only hair clips.”
She said her daughters would now only be able to wear their beloved JoJos at weekends and for parties.
Claire’s Accessories appears to have reacted to the ban as it has started stocking more “sensible” versions in red, white, navy and black, to ensure they blend in with uniform colours. Some independent shops have begun making cheaper imitations too.
Michelle O’Shaughnessy, who owns a craft shop in Cradley Heath near Birmingham, began selling homemade bows in February and told the BBC that the trend was spreading fast.
She said: “My daughter loved the JoJo Siwa bows but they’re so expensive, so I decided to make my own, and people got interested.”
The Daily Telegraph approached Claire’s Accessories but the retailer declined to comment.
Anyone unfamiliar with a JoJo bow does not have a young daughter at school. The huge, brightly coloured bow, of the kind Oscar Wilde wore at his neck, clips on to the hair. In the words of JoJo Siwa, a 13-year-old star on television and social media: “It is a symbol of power, confidence, believing-ness.” Schools are more worried about its distracting-ness. The bows are no more ridiculous than 18th-century hairstyles big enough to feature birdcages and ships under full sail, but a little girl with a JoJo bow may be almost hidden by the bright efflorescence. It doesn’t come cheap: £10 is not unusual for a starter bow, with a series of collector’s items in prospect. Girls lacking the latest model are made to feel like Blairites at a Momentum meeting. School bans may provoke tears – from parents they should be tears of relief.