I hate my school.

[Apparitions]

Yep, I hate it. I got a haircut at the weekend and put in some lowlights (not that noticeable, they don't stick out tooo much but guess what? Barely half an hour after I get in my bitch form tutor drags me to my Head of Year (I don't know if America has Head of Grades or something, but if you do it's like that) and shows him my lowlights. He takes one look and sends me straight to his office and says he'll send me home. So I go there and wait for him for AGES and when he comes he just goes straight to his phones and calls my Mum and Dad. My mum doesn't answer so he calls my Dad which really fucking got me pissed my Dad works nights so he sleeps during the day so he's gonna be pissed at him waking him up. So when he's done moaning about how terrible my crime is he calls me in and starts going on about the school rules and shit. Why should I think about the school rules when I get my fucking hair done? Anyway he says he was gonna send me home but I'm good and shit in school so he'll let me go back to registration but I have to get the colour away. It cost me £35 (about US$55) and now he wants me to get another one?! I felt like asking him to pay for it but I didn't want to make things worse. So all day I have people asking me about my hair, some people being retards and thinking that high/lowlights/any colour in your hair is for gay people and women (it's a Catholic school...) and I keep on hiding from teachers so they don't moan at me as well. So when I get home, I go straight to get my haircut. Luckily they kept the length and just kept on dying it. It's now a bit darker than usual (yay!). My point is, what is the problem with having colour in yor hair and why did they make me get it out? I'm a good student, I don't drink or smoke and am polite and well behaved so what is the problem. They said I could do it in the holidays (oh woop-de-fucking-do...) but why not whenever? It's my hair... FML. Advice please?

[Aspiringanonymous]

I can't speak for other religious schools, but I know that similar rules are applied to all high schools in China. No dying, no perming, no outlandish hairstyles, no makeup.. it's just conservative values that refuse to lighten up, really. No different than having school uniforms - everyone is expected to look similar to a certain degree to maintain the serious academic atmosphere or whatever within school grounds, and hair becomes part of that as well.

It is absurd when considering the overall context of modern society, but that is why, at least not all schools maintain such policies. Believe it or not, there are people who genuinely prefer a learning environment like that - and the remaining institutions with these rules would cater specifically to them. When a student enrolls in any school, the expectation is that they have agreed to be bound to its regulations.

But you are not alone - many former Catholic-school students look upon their experience with distaste. Hopefully, if being there really bothers you - there is the option of transferring out of the Catholic system.

[belfordrocks]

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[Apparitions]

I'd echo the above sentiments- the real option there is to leave the Catholic system. Explain to your parents if that is the case- and hopefully they will respect your decision.

But otherwise, read the school policies carefully to see if they are particularly vague for example, in which case you might have a defence and/or a argument. Now I'm not a lawyer and certainly not familiar with the law in London, but perhaps the best thing to do is to know your rights, discuss this with the principal or persons involved. Remain calm even if the other person attempts to escalate it, and if that fails, it may be time to leave for a different school.

Good luck.
Ah, the problem is that I am in the middle of my GCSEs which are very important in England so it would be problematic to move schools now. I will move to another school at the end of them next year. Plus, I love my friends (not in a gay way...) and we will probably spilt up then when people go to other schools and whatever so I want to make the most of my time with them now. Thanks for the advice though, there isn't a hope in hell of my headmaster (principal to you) allowing stuff like this. I wish I had chosen another school when I could have. I got into one with girls (mine is boys only :() but for some reason I chose the one now. I regret it.