Hair Today, Trouble Tomorrow: Nevis Parents Blast School Hair Policy
Parents across Nevis are fuming as schools reopen, not about books or uniforms, but about hair. The Ministry of Education’s 2023 “Schools’ Hair Policy” — dusted off and enforced once again this term — is sparking outrage, with many accusing the rules of being outdated and unfair.
One irate mother told Run Di Chat:
“We are having hell of a time with the school in Nevis about how boys’ hair need to be comb. Hair in 2025?? This is not the 1970s when white racist folks saw Black hair as bad. The best student in CXC from Guyana — 28 subjects, 21 distinctions — has dreadlocks! Clearly, hair style didn’t stop him from learning.”
📜 The Rules
The Ministry insists boys’ hair must be no longer than two inches, can’t be braided, twisted, or loc’d, and must be “properly combed out.” For girls, extensions are allowed only if they’re “conservative and protective,” and hair accessories must match uniforms. No coloured hair, no creative styles, no “distractions.”
💥 The Backlash
Critics say this policy polices Black hair in ways that feel outdated and oppressive. Parents argue it has nothing to do with learning outcomes and everything to do with enforcing Eurocentric standards of “neatness.”
✊🏽 Bigger Questions
Why is government focusing on hair when real education challenges — like resources, curriculum, and teacher support — remain pressing?
Why are Black students in 2025 still being told their natural or cultural hairstyles are a problem?
For many Nevisians, the debate is about more than just hair. It’s about dignity, identity, and freedom of expression in a post-colonial Caribbean society that should be celebrating, not restricting, its culture.
As schools reopen, one thing is clear: this policy is making waves, and parents aren’t brushing it aside.
