Sex discrimination against pupils 9/2/10
Sirs,
As a parent of a girl in S2 of the Nicholson who is currently choosing her options, I am amazed at the way the council / school has dropped Hairdressing and Retail choices for the children.
I believe the children who have taken hairdressing whilst at the school have gained great skills that transfer to any area of work.
I am not only disgusted that the S2 children were taken around the college by the school to see the different departments including the hairdressing to help with their choices, the booklet that gives details of each subject also included Hairdressing and Retail. Yet on the form these options were nowhere to be seen.
Lesson 1 in how to ruin a child
Show them something great, then say no you can have it.
Lesson 2
Keep the parents in the dark and unable to offer reasons for not being able to do something to the child (the dropping of the subjects was not discussed with parents and some were only aware when they tried to fill in the options form)
Lesson 3
Make them feel inferior
(offering predominately male subject options can only make the females feel inferior and less important than the males)
I am currently a mature student on the hairdressing course at Lews Castle College and cannot speak highly enough about the Hairdressing Department and the courses they offer.
I do believe that I would have taken this career choice straight from school had I had the wonderful opportunity whilst I was at school to attend a hairdressing course.
To the council / school who made the choice to drop hairdressing, the next time you have your hair cut please think about the lost opportunities for these students and how you now have the opportunity to change things for the better.
Louise Knowles
9 Geiler
Upper Bayble
Point
Lewis
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