Member

We hear again and again in this Chamber great concern about the number of pupils who are not in school, attending lessons or getting the education that they need. It is really striking that, in nearly all these cases, pupils are from disadvantaged communities. Pupils are being sent home, threatened with exclusion and put into isolation because of their hair. We must say that teachers and pupils can cope with people having different coloured hair and having different haircuts. If we are to get serious about education for all, we should absolutely not exclude pupils because of their haircut or hair colour.