Manchester Evening News
A teenager has been kicked out of school after teachers saw red over her dyed hair.
Fern Burke, 14, dyed her brunette hair red over the summer holidays. The colour lightened during the school break, but she has been told she cannot return to her lessons at Middleton Technology School in Rochdale until her hair is darker and a more 'natural' colour.
Fern's mum, Tracey, was told by the school that her daughter's hair was too bright on the first day of term.
She helped Fern apply two bottles of brown dye to her red locks, but teachers are still claiming Fern's hair is not 'natural' enough to fit the school's policy on dyed hair and that she cannot return to classes.
Tracey, a primary school teaching assistant, told Manchester Evening News: "Fern had always wanted to experiment and dye her hair red. As I know this is not allowed in school, we waited for the summer holidays to dye it.
"After seven weeks off, the colour had faded significantly and she returned to school. She was told the colour was still too red so at the weekend we dyed her hair twice with dark brown.
"The last time she dyed her hair black she was bullied. Understandably, she doesn't want to experience this again. I do not think it is fair considering there are teachers at the school with purple hair or highlights which are not natural colours.
"I understand the need for rules within the school in preparation for the working environment - but you tell me a job where you would be sent home or fired for the colour of your hair. She needs to be getting on with work. She's just started Year 10 and needs to focus on her GCSEs."
The school's headteacher Alison Crompton declined to comment.
What do you think? Petty rules mother and daughter have done their best to adhere to or important the school sticks to the official uniform line?
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