August 20, 2026
Fi We Children Foundation welcomes announcement of national student dress and grooming policy
Written byClement Reid
The Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) has welcomed the announcement by Minister of Education and Youth, Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, that the revised national student dress and grooming policy will be rolled out shortly.
The announcement was made at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s 62nd annual conference at Ocean Coral Spring in Trelawny.
The Foundation said while it welcomes the anticipated policy it remains concerned that the urgency of the issue must not be minimized.
The FWCF said students should not be subjected to arbitrary, inconsistent or disproportionate grooming standards that interfere with their education, dignity, identity or freedom of expression.
It said under the existing framework schools have significant discretion in determining and enforcing grooming standards.
The Foundation argued that in practice this has resulted in students reportedly being denied access to school over matters such as belt buckles, uniform length and hairstyles.
FWCF legal consultant and attorney-at-law Kayla Wright expressed concern about reports of black boys being required to cut or alter their hair to meet subjective standards of what is considered “neat” or “well groomed.”
Ms. Wright questioned whether or not those rules are fair, reasonable, transparent and consistently applied.
FWCF said it also recognises positive developments, including the relaxation of hair grooming policy by one school.
