Ridiculous!

This news article is just plain madness.

To start with, I have a minor connection to this whole situation, so I know the background of the story and what's going on. The ABC has contacted the school, and even had the headmaster on the radio this morning, and have had reporters at the school today, so to say they "have unsuccessfully attempted to contact the school" is rubbish to start with.

Ormiston College is a non-denominational private school. It has a very strict dress code. The dress code is applied to all students regardless of race, religion or other beliefs. If a student doesn't follow the dress code, then they receive the appropriate punishment.

A Sikh family applied to have their son enter the school. Obviously, on application, they received the school's prospectus, which included the dress code. Thus, they were given the opportunity to read it. They applied to the school. The school offered their son a place, but made note to the family that he would have to shave his beard and would only be allowed to wear the school's hat and not a turban. No student at the school is allowed to have any facial hair, and no student is allowed to wear any headgear other than the school's hat. The family decided not to send their son to the school on the basis of this information, because they claim they will be excommunicated if their son does not wear a turban and beard.

The family are now claiming that the school discriminated against them and are seeking retribution in the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal.

I find this whole thing ridiculous. It's a private school, it's not the only one in the area, nor is it the only school in the near vicinity to the family, public or otherwise. It's not like the family had no choice but to send their son to OC.

The school did not refuse entry to the student, as the article says at the beginning. They offered him a place provided he comply with the school's dress code like every other student. The family was not happy with this, so obviously they didn't accept the place offered. How have they been put out? What have they lost, monetary or otherwise? Nothing, as far as I can see.

If you're going to choose to send your children to a private school, then you choose the school that best suits your needs. Obviously OC's strict dress code didn't suit this family needs, but I fail to see how it's discrimination. The school has a very diverse student body with representation from many different races and religions. All of the students adhere to the same dress code.

Were the school to allow students of religious backgrounds to attend school in their religious garb, where does it stop? If the Sikh student was allowed to wear his turban and a beard, wouldn't the other male students then claim they should be allowed to have facial hair too, and wear a hat other than the school's? The whole thing could get out of hand very quickly.

I like JR's comment at 26 Feb 2008 9:57:43am (minus the bad grammar and punctuation):

If the rule is that you must wear the school uniform then discrimination is to allow one race or minority group to do otherwise. Discrimination like this must be stopped. [I]f the school wouldn[']t allow any child of a [C]hristian religion to have unkempt hair then it must no[t] allow children of other religions to do so either. If you allow special treatment or 'affirmative action' then you should be liable for discriminating against mainstream society. [J]ust because your [sic] a member of a minority group doesn[']t mean that your [sic] discriminated against.

I really think the school has done the right thing in setting up a strict dress code and making sure all students follow it. This ensures that all students' appearance is exactly the same, and no one can say they feel discriminated against. It's a condition of entry that you agree to follow the school's rules, including the dress code, and if you don't agree with it, then it's pretty simple that you wouldn't send your kids there.

I just don't get it. I don't understand why this family feels they have been discriminated against. The school didn't refuse their son entry, they refused the school's offer of a place once they realised their son would have to follow the dress code like everyone else. How is this discrimination? It's not as if the son was flat out refused entry because of his religious beliefs. He was accepted into the school provided he follow the same rules that every other student has to follow. Even the jewish students at the school aren't allowed to wear their yamulkas, the mulsim students aren't allowed to wear burqas, etc. In fact, there is an employee of the school who is Sikh, and her children don't wear the turbans or have facial hair, and they haven't been excommunicated from their faith.

I really think this is a case of this family trying to make it an "us and them" situation, when it wasn't to start with.

Of course, given that the Anti Discrimination Tribunal has an "every child wins a prize" policy, the family is certain to receive something for this ridiculous case. Which is really a shame, in my opinion.