\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNavigating the tangled web of school regulations often evokes a range of emotions, a mix of fond memories and challenging moments. Amidst this learning environment, rules govern students’ daily lives\u2014from sensible guidelines such as limiting jewelry during sporting events to mysterious disciplinary measures regarding seemingly trivial matters such as makeup or preferred beverages\u2014a mixture of practicality and missed learning opportunities.\r\n
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However, amidst these strict norms, guidelines regarding a child’s appearance often clash with their innate desire for self-expression, especially during key stages of their formative years. For an 8-year-old boy named Farouk and his mother, Bonnie, these regulations became a significant barrier to access to a quality education because of Farouk’s long, prominent hair.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Model scouts are attracted to Farouk James from London, England because of his gorgeous head. He has photographed in Italy and New York and is currently employed as a child model.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
However, his appearance only caused him problems in class; he was rejected by several schools because of the length of his hair.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
James’ mother, Bonnie Miller, claims she was informed that her older brother’s hair was too short when he was at school.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nView this post on Instagram\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nA post shared by faroukjames (@faroukjames)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
According to Bonnie, Farouk’s father is from Ghana, and his parents didn’t cut his hair until he was three because of cultural customs.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
“At that point, he was hooked \u2014 and so was I, to be honest \u2014 with his beautiful hair,” Bonnie told CBS News. \u201cWe just kept our hair.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The family lives in the UK, where most schools have policies against boys having long hair, although girls are allowed to do so.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
According to Bonnie, it is against children’s human rights to force them to cut their hair.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
His mother, Bonnie, posted on Instagram saying: “I will not give up trying to convince governments to introduce legislation to protect children from these outdated, punitive rules.”\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
“You’re rejecting Farouk even though he’s done nothing wrong! All his friends are accepted into the universities he wants to attend so badly, he’ll have to say goodbye to them.”\r\n
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Bonnie even created a Change.org petition to outlaw hair discrimination in the UK as a result of this circumstance.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
“We’re putting together a real team and we’re calling it Generation Mane,” Bonnie explained. “We will fight until these regulations are changed. And it will affect the whole world, not just the UK.”\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
With more than a quarter of a million followers, Farouk’s mother runs an Instagram account that highlights his life as a playful boy and child model.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
But even with all the love and support she’s getting online, she still gets hate mail. After discussing the family’s struggle to find a school that would accept Farouk and his hair on UK TV’s popular morning show ‘This Morning’, Bonnie claimed to have received a lot of negative feedback.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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