The current NPBHS hair regulations state that; "Hair should be clean, groomed, a natural colour, or no more than moderate length, off the collar, and away from the eyes. Extreme hairstyles such as: Dreadlocks, braids, no.1s, mohawks, colours, hair ties, raised hair, stripes, or rats tails are unacceptable."

Now, the first half of these rules we have no problem with, hair being clean and groomed is fine. However, further on we begin to see the problem. The idea that hair must be kept short 'off the collar' is completely archaic and out of line with modern society. There are of course, many reasons why this shouldn't be a rule, but most important of all is the presence of trans students at our school. Trans-women and non-binary people who suffer from gender dysphoria can recieve long-term discomfort when they have to conform to 'male' gender norms, being forced to fit into a gendered box of which they truly are not a part of. 

The reparation of this school rule would allow the trans-people who attend NPBHS to live their lives just a little easier. Particularly when most trans students who are attending NPBHS are not out (For reasons such as personal safety), or are early in their transition, wherein a normalisation of longer hair and perhaps more 'feminine' things amongs t a 'male' group may help them to experiment with what things help them feel good about themselves.

If you have read this and are unsure of the troubles that trans people may face in a high school setting, or just want to know more, here are some helpful links!

https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/assets/fmhs/faculty/ahrg/docs/Youth12-transgender-young-people-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X13007532

https://www.bullyingfree.nz/about-bullying/lgbtqia/