Eamonn Holmes has thrown his support behind a mother who follows the Rastafarian faith after she vowed to fight her son’s school when it ordered him to cut his dreadlocks.
Tuesday Flanders appeared on This Morning alongside her 12-year-old son Chikayzea, days after the demand was issued by Fulham Boys School, London, where he recently became a pupil.
She explained on the ITV show on Friday that she felt that it was an attack on their beliefs because of ‘stigma’ attached to the Rasta culture, and added that her son’s hair was not a ‘fashion trend’, but in line with their religion.
Tuesday, who said the school’s headmaster had said nothing about Chikayzea’s dreadlocks in meetings with her and her son before term started, became visibly upset as she described how her son was taught in isolation as a result of the school’s policy.
The school has said it has a strict uniform and appearance policy, and that it is handling the case as a social issue, rather than a religious one.
But the fallout over the complex situation led Eamonn to call on the school’s headmaster – Alan Ebaneer – to ‘sort this’ before it escalated further.
Tuesday Flanders appeared on This Morning alongside her 12-year-old son Chikayzea after vowing to fight against the request from her son’s school to cut his dreadlocks
After sharing her side of the story Tuesday became upset and presenter Eamonn Holmes made a call for the headmaster to ‘sort this’
Tuesday, who follows the Rastafarian faith, is worried what will happen to her son in the future if he is being taught in isolation now
Chikayzea was taught in isolation this Monday, and even faces the prospect of suspension from the Mund Street school.
Mrs Flanders said she tied her son’s hair up so that it did not breach policy on length, but received a call on his first day at school saying that it must be cut.
Now she has worries about him remaining in the school even if the issue was resolved.
‘I won’t be leaving him in that school, if they are isolating him now what is going to happen later on.
‘My son is upset at the end of the day I went to the school, I went to this gentleman and pleaded with him to accept it,’ she cried.
Eamonn added: ‘I’m sure a lot of parents will have sympathy for you at this school. I just want to say headmaster, sort this. It can be sorted.’
Mrs Flanders explained previously: ‘He has dreadlocked hair because he is a Rastafarian. His hair does come down below his shoulder which is why I tied it up on his first day at school.
‘They can’t expect me to cut my son’s hair. It’s our faith, it’s our religion, our culture.’
She hoped a meeting with headteacher Alun Ebenezer would iron out the problem, but said: ‘I explained that it’s our religion and culture and it’s not fashion for us, it’s not something we take lightly.
‘But I was told at the end of the day they have a policy of no dreadlocks at the school.’
Fulham Boys School says it is simply adhering to a strict uniform and appearance policy by asking his dreadlocks (pictured) to be cut
Tuesday Flanders says the demand to cut her son’s hair is religious discrimination and an attack on her culture
She said the whole episode was upsetting Chikayzea but added: ‘I don’t intend to cut my son’s hair.
‘It’s my belief, my family’s belief. We have been Rastafarians for 30 to 40 years.
‘No school should be able to dictate things like that. It can never be right. It’s a human right.
‘This is a child that goes to school to learn, not for fashion.’
Mr Ebenezer described the school as a ‘strict academic school’ with ‘very distinctive ethos and culture’ and pupils from different cultures and religions.
He says he draws attention to the school’s uniform and appearance policy when addressing parents who are considering the FBS for their children, and that it is available on its website.
He said: ‘We are very clear what the school is about. Boys have to conform to uniform and appearance policy.
‘Boys are told to cut their hair or grow their hair. All boys need to follow and adhere to the school policy.’
Asked about religious concerns raised by Mrs Flanders, Mr Ebenezer added: ‘At the moment we are treating this as a social issue. I have seen no tenets that you have to have dreadlocks.
‘The kindest thing you can do for boys is have strict discipline and firm boundaries and everyone has to comply with that.’
However, Mrs Flanders said: ‘This is religious discrimination. Everybody in my household has dreads.
As a result, Chikayzea was taught in isolation this Monday and faces the prospect of suspension from the school. Pictured, the logo for Fulham Boys School
‘It’s not a style for us. Other people may wear dreadlocks for style but we do not.
‘We wear this because of our culture. Dreadlocks identify us as a person and a people. They identify who we are.’
Mrs Flanders added her older son Amaechi, now 18, was never called up for his dreadlocks while he attended Chelsea Academy.
She has also set up a petition urging FBS to allow her son and his dreadlocks into school.
The petition has so far been signed by more than 300 people.