Now read the views of Ashley and the headmaster

ACT OUT A CONVERSATION between parents (or a parent) of a troubled child and a psychologist.

- For parents: explain the problem you have in the relationship with your child.

- For a psychologist: listen carefully and try to help the parents.

1) Read the following news item which appeared in The Daily Telegraph. Discuss the questions below in pairs:

Schoolgirl Ashley Wallace, 16, was furious when the headmaster of her school, Neil Watts, 50, ordered the school photographers to change the colour of her hair from pink to brown in the final prints of the official school photographs.

Why do you think the headmaster wanted the colour of Ashley’s hair changed?

Why do you think Ashley was furious?

Why do you think Ashley dyed her hair pink?

Ashley’s View

I couldn’t believe it when I realized what they had done to me. I was so annoyed that I went straight to the headmaster and complained.

My hair was mousy brown and it looked ridiculous because you could still see all the pink through it. All of my friends were asking what I had done to my hair. I was just fuming. The school should have given me the option either to be in the photo and have my hair airbrushed or not be in it. If I had been given the choice, I would rather not have been in it at all. One thing is certain – there is no way I am going to change my hair colour now.

The headmaster’s View

We have been trying to resolve the issue of Ashley’s pink hair since before Christmas. Initially, we were assured that she would return it to the natural colour over the holiday but since Christmas her hair has remained pink. Our code of conduct clearly states that pupils are expected to bring credit upon themselves by their appearance and we do not feel that pink hair fulfils this requirement.

Despite this we have acted very reasonably. We have not excluded Ashley from school and we have allowed her to attend normal lessons in the final year of her exams. We also allowed her to be in the photograph for the whole year group. However, we fell strongly that, as the photograph is a record for the school, Ashley’s hair colour does not bring credit upon the other pupils and the school. Therefore, we asked the photographic company to tone down the hair colour in the photograph.

3) Answer and discuss the questions: Why was Ashley furious? What did she think the school should have done? How long had Ashley had pink hair? How did the headmaster feel about her hair? In what ways did he feel the school had been reasonable towards her? Who do you think is right – Ashley or the headmaster? Why? Are there any better solutions to the problem of Ashley’s hair? What are they? If a 16-year-old arrived at school one morning with pink hair in your country: what would her friends say? What would her teachers say? What would the headteacher say?

This next article is about Sherrie Cooke, who became an alcoholic at the age of 12. For the next four years, she spent her nights drinking. She gave up school and her life was in a mess. Then, at 16, Sherrie turned things around and she won a scholarship to study in America. This article appeared in The Sun on the day that a television documentary told her story.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29