Parents contacted the Mercury to raise concerns about St Virgil’s haircut tactics

See the online debate sparked by a Tasmanian Catholic school’s policy on non-compliant haircuts.

ST Virgil’s’ continued hardline response to haircuts has divided opinion, with some supporting the strict approach and others calling for a more contemporary policy.

Many Mercury readers who joined the debate online have supported the school’s stance, arguing the longstanding dress code is made clear to all parents.

“When you enrol your son at SVC you accept the terms clearly laid out. If you don’t like it simply go somewhere else instead, don’t agree then complain about it later.” Meika Stebbings said.

“School sets the rules, parents sign up to them upon enrolment. Expectations are clear. Consequences for non-compliance, seems perfectly reasonable. A school for every kid and a kid for every school. If its not your thing, parents have a choice!,” Simon said.

Other questioned the school’s prioritisation of appearance over education.

“It’s 2022 for goodness sake. As a society we should have moved on from this sort of approach to things such as appearance. I’m all for standards but I’m certainly not for standards like this one that tolerate one stupid hairstyle over the other,” said Mercury reader Chris.

St Virgil's College logo

The parents suggested a note sent home or a phone call requesting a haircut would have been a better approach to removing boys from class.

St Virgil’s College did not respond to a request for comment.

It’s not the first time this year St Virgil’s has initiated a hair crackdown.

Parents and carers of students received a letter from the school in the lead-up to the beginning of Term 2, warning them that their child could be sent home and potentially suspended for having an “inappropriate hairstyle that does not comply with the college’s published expectations”.

It is understood the school’s hair policy says boys must have hair “of a style and length unlikely to cause comment”.