11-year-old Alfie Howard-Hughes has never had his hair cut.
However, he has been told to chop it off if he wants to get a place at a grammar school.
The boy has been left shattered and angry after Colchester Royal Grammar School in Essex said his long locks go against its policy.
The school’s policy stipulates that boys’ hair must be no longer than collar length to ‘maintain a smart looking set of students.’
However, head-strong Alfie said it is ‘a part of him’ and is now determined to turn up on his first day with his long locks still intact.
The 11-year-old has wished to attend the school since he was six. He passed all his 11+ exams with flying colors. He hopes to be a quantum physicist and said he wants to challenge the rules for other schoolboys with long hair like him.
“It’s never been a thing in my mind it has always been there. My hair is a part of me,” he expressed. “I don’t just want to do it so I can keep my hair but I want to do it for other boys who have long hair.”
His mom, 33-year-old Katy Cox, has called the school’s policy ‘ridiculous’ and also accused the school of making ‘carbon copies’ of the students.
“Rules keep our children safe and that’s important but some rules need to be challenged otherwise we would be living in a cave,” she said.
“I think it’s really outdated, with the world how it is and how far equality has come.
“They need to let children grow and be themselves, it’s like they’re trying to create cardboard cut outs of each of the children.”
She added: “Alfie loves academics, to the point where he was upset that his school was not hard enough on him.
“He loves learning and we thought grammar school with children who have similar minds would be fantastic.”
Alfie’s parents are now considering legal action against the school so they contacted the Child Law Advice Service.
Mr. Cox said: “They said there was a possible line that it’s discrimination based on gender but that would involve getting a specialist in public law which is expensive
“It’s a really good school and a really good basis of education, it puts you on the right path, and that’s why I don’t want him to miss out because his hair is long.”
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