Let Girls Keep Their Braids

We are creating this petition to ask our school to reconsider its policy regarding girls’ braided hairstyles.

Girls should not be forced to cut their braids or be refused the ability to wear braided hairstyles simply because it is claimed that braids make students lose focus or become distracted.

We ask a simple question: Where is the evidence that wearing braids prevents students from learning?

Braids do not stop us from listening in class, completing our work, studying, participating in lessons, or achieving good results. If a student is distracted or misbehaving, the issue should be addressed based on their behaviour, rather than blaming their hairstyle.

Braids can also take hours to create and can cost a significant amount of money. For many girls, their hairstyle can be an important part of their confidence, identity, culture, and personal expression. Forcing someone to cut their braids can therefore be upsetting and unnecessary, especially when the hairstyle is neat and appropriate for school.

We are not asking the school to remove all appearance standards. We understand the importance of students looking neat and presentable.

Instead, we are asking for fair and reasonable rules. If the concern is neatness, then braids can be required to be neat. If the concern is safety, appropriate requirements can be put in place. If the concern is classroom distraction, then actual disruptive behaviour should be addressed.

A hairstyle should not be treated as misconduct when it has not caused any disruption.

Students should be judged by their behaviour, effort, discipline, and academic performance—not simply by their hairstyle.

We respectfully ask the school to:

• Stop forcing girls to cut their braids.
• Allow neat and appropriate braided hairstyles.
• Replace the current policy with a clear and reasonable hairstyle policy.
• Address actual disruptive behaviour rather than assuming a hairstyle causes distraction.
• Listen to students and consider their concerns when creating or changing rules that directly affect them.

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness.

Our hair does not determine our intelligence.
Our braids do not determine our discipline.
Our hairstyles do not determine our ability to learn.

Let girls keep their braids. Judge us by what we do, not by how we wear our hair.