Teen Times: Public funding must never be used to sustain hair discrimination

GREAT BAY--"A child’s place in a classroom must never depend on whether a school board approves of the way that child’s natural hair grows. Education is a right, not a privilege granted only to children whose appearance conforms to outdated institutional preferences."

Teen Times on Wednesday reaffirmed its support for legislation to end hair discrimination in St. Maarten’s schools and has backed Member of Parliament Christopher Wever’s position that government subsidies should be reviewed when publicly funded school boards deny children access to education because of their natural hair or hairstyle. "A school board cannot reasonably accept public funding from the entire community while reserving the right to exclude certain children from that community on discriminatory grounds."

Teen Times has championed this issue for several years because it concerns a child’s right to education, dignity and equal treatment. The organization rejects attempts to redirect the discussion toward unrelated disputes over the wider funding of subsidized education, employment preparation, institutional autonomy or other matters that, although important, do not answer the central question.

Can a school that receives public funding deny a child an education because of the hair that naturally grows from that child’s head, or because the child wears a culturally significant or protective hairstyle?

Teen Times’ position remains firm: it cannot.

"The current debate should not be convoluted by inserting every unresolved challenge facing education into an issue that is clear and specific. The adequacy of school subsidies deserves its own discussion. Teacher compensation, staffing, maintenance, vocational education and student support services also deserve sustained attention. None of these matters, however, provides a justification for removing a student from the classroom, refusing admission or imposing discipline because of natural hair, locks, braids, twists, cornrows, afros or another hairstyle that is clean, maintained and safe," Teen Times said.

Teen Times announced in August 2024 that it was preparing a parliamentary proposal calling for policies to protect students from being penalized or excluded because of their hair. The organization later submitted the proposal to Member of Parliament Sjamira Roseburg, who brought it to Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs for legislative consideration.

Minister Gumbs subsequently informed school boards that proposed legislation would protect natural and culturally significant hairstyles, including afros, locks, twists, braids and cornrows, provided they are clean, maintained and do not create safety concerns or obstruct learning. Teen Times has supported the minister’s decision to address the matter through legislation and has called for the final provisions to be strong enough to prevent discriminatory policies from being repackaged under vague terms such as grooming, neatness, tradition or professionalism.

Teen Times also rejects the argument that discriminatory hair policies should be defended as preparation for the workplace. Schools should prepare students to become educated, disciplined and responsible citizens, but they should not teach Black children that their natural appearance must be altered before they can be accepted as presentable or professional.

"Discipline does not require discrimination. A school can enforce standards related to cleanliness, hygiene, safety and genuine classroom disruption without prohibiting hairstyles closely associated with the texture, culture and identity of many of the children it is publicly funded to educate," Teen Times said.

It added that the hypocrisy in the current situation cannot be ignored. Subsidized school boards receive public funds generated through the taxes and economic contributions of the people of St. Maarten. Those taxpayers include the parents and guardians of children whose natural hair or chosen hairstyles may be rejected by the same schools their taxes help finance.

"Government subsidies are not gifts to school boards. They are provided to ensure that the children of St. Maarten receive education. When a subsidized institution uses its authority to deny education to a child because of hair, government has every right and responsibility to examine whether that institution should continue receiving the same level of public financial support."

Teen Times therefore supports MP Wever’s call for government and Parliament to review subsidies where school boards knowingly continue discriminatory practices. This is not an attack on teachers, students or the education system. "It is a question of accountability for institutions that receive public money. No organization should be rewarded for discrimination. No school board should be permitted to accept the financial support of the public while refusing to serve some of the public’s children fairly."

Teen Times recognizes the role of teachers’ unions in defending educators and promoting a properly funded education system. However, unions, boards and other stakeholders should avoid using the broader subsidy debate to obscure the immediate harm caused when a child is turned away from school, removed from class or humiliated because of hair.

The absence of completed legislation should also not be treated as permission to continue a practice that is already unfair. Laws often formalize principles that institutions should have recognized through basic fairness, sound judgment and respect for the children entrusted to their care.

Teen Times has previously called on parents to use their collective influence to challenge discriminatory rules, noting that school communities have the power to demand change. It has also stressed that its concern is not with every grooming rule, but with policies that disproportionately target children with curls, coils and culturally significant hairstyles.

School boards should use the period before the legislation is enacted to review their handbooks, remove discriminatory language, consult parents and students, and establish neutral standards based only on hygiene, safety and the proper functioning of the learning environment.

Teen Times will continue supporting Minister Gumbs’ legislative initiative and parliamentarians who are prepared to ensure that public funding is accompanied by public accountability.

‍