VOICE ONLINE UK: A JAMAICAN high school has banned girls from wearing ‘edges’ in their hair.
St Andrews High School for Girls made the announcement of their ban on baby hairs via their student-run Instagram page.
According to the statement, the ban is meant to uphold the school’s high standards. The post said: “Please be advised that the wearing of ‘edges’ is now officially banned on campus.
“Remember curtains belong in the house, not on foreheads! Let’s keep our looks neat and school-ready. We appreciate your cooperation in upholding our standards of excellence as we continue honouring the legacy and inspiring the future.”
Decision sparks worldwide reaction
Comments were disabled on the post but that has not stopped it from going viral and being discussed by people across the world on social media.
One woman on Instgram asked:”What does that have to do with school?”
Another commented: “Let kids do what they want with their hair. They already wear unifroms and can’t really express their individuality.”
One mother wrote on social media: “They need to do this at my daughter’s school because I had to tell my daughter the same thing.”
Others weighed in on the decion on social media platform X.
User @mijjymijj described the ban as “internalised racism” writing: “Internalised racism, classism, colonialism and patriarchy don’t just live in the history books. They are still being projected onto our children. A Jamaican school banning girls from wearing their edges in 2025? That’s next level insanity.”
A mother who has a daughter currently attending the school, defended the ban and claimed girls are “arriving late to class” because they are in the toilets doing their edges.
The mother, who goes by the username @itzme_d_toxic1 on X, wrote: “I support the school’s decision to band edges. The girls are arriving late for classes bcz they’re in restrooms doing their edges.
“They are excusing themselves 2 the restrooms 2 do their edges during classes. The girls are even doing their edges DURING classes.
“They are preoccupied w/doing their edges.”
According to the St Andrew High school for Girls handbook, students hair must be “well groomed at all times with clean, neat and tidy hairstyles which are appropriate for school.
“Hair may not be partially shaved. Artificial hair, extensions and colouring are not allowed. The uniform does not include head covering of any kind, unless for religious purposes. Only Black hair accessories are allowed with the uniform. Beads are not permitted.”
‘Too much focus on edges’
Mrs Keeva Ingram, headteacher from St Andrews High School for Girls, responded to the viral news of the ban on local radio station Nationwide.
She said: “Let’s be practical. St Andrews is not unique with this, by the way, we are not the only girls school out there that has done it.”
Mrs Ingram said she had a discussion with her students about the hairstyle last year and asked if it would be a problem and they replied “no miss.”
She added: “I have girls moving from one class to the next, stopping in the bathroom to fix edges.
“Parents are telling me that it takes them thirty, forty minutes to get ready in the morning to get ready for school because they are doing edges.
“Listen, my focus is on my girls full, wholesome education. Their physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing.”
Out of the 1200 students who turned up to the school on Monday, the head teacher said only “one or two” came with edges.
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I walked into a bar/restaurant at the beach the other day, and was told I cannot enter without my shirt, so I just went back to my stuff and got my shirt. Should I have screamed discrimination as well, because I can’t show my naked chest in that bar? 😂.
The intent of the rule is not to discriminate against girls, so stop the foolishness. The intent is to promote behaviors that doesn’t distract from learning in school, and it is clear certain trends are doing just that with our young kids.
Good move St Andrews..I support this move with no apology.
@Islanman26 those two comparison are not equal in no way, if restaurant I could just be a safety issue since there is food around. This is hair on your head. Like before Antigua school required you to cut your hair or they would send you home for being to long because they also said it distracted from learning. Also note that they never said they were late because of doing their hair.
“Remember curtains belong in the house, not on foreheads” is a weird statement because all it just short hair that is styled since it’s too short for anything self. It can be argued as discrimination and seen as the same attitude stems from when black women weren’t allowed to work with their natural hair and were forced to perm it with exception during only pregnancy. They said it was to looked more “professional” or they would could be terminated from their job or refused. It still exist today with locs still not being accepted or men with long hair.
Basically like saying guys aren’t allowed to cut and or out their hair that can’t be braided
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