Lowering Standards Is Not The Way Forward For Our Schools

The recent Ministry of Education circular dated August 29, instructing school administrators not to send students home or deny them access to classes because of hairstyle, has reignited national debate. While the Ministry has assured the nation that a comprehensive Student Deportment Policy will soon be released, I wish to raise a concern that what is being presented as progress may, in fact, represent the lowering of standards in a system where discipline is already under severe strain.

As a nation, we must remember that education is not only about academics; it is also about the formation of character. The values of discipline, self-respect, neatness, and moderation are not optional; they are foundational. Schools have long been the guardians of such values, instilling in our children an understanding that how one carries oneself in public life is as important as what one achieves academically.

The Minister himself has admitted that deportment policies are meant to shape responsibility and behaviour. Yet, if schools are stripped of their authority to set and enforce reasonable standards, how can they effectively mould young men and women into disciplined, responsible citizens? The freedom to express oneself must always be balanced with the responsibility to maintain decorum, respect for others, and regard for the learning environment.

We must also resist the temptation to trivialise this matter. Hairstyles, while seemingly external, communicate much about identity, order, and values. Our forebears understood this, and their insistence on deportment played no small role in shaping schools like St. Mary's College and St. Joseph's Convent into institutions of excellence and respect. To erode these standards now risks undermining the very culture of discipline and high achievement that we desperately need.

I wish to be clear: this is not about discrimination against natural hair or about failing to appreciate cultural identity. Our young people must be taught to value their natural beauty and cultural heritage. But freedom without boundaries is dangerous. Allowing extreme hairstyles, flamboyant colours, or fashion-driven trends in schools distracts from the learning environment and fosters individualism at the expense of community identity.

The Catholic Church has always insisted that true freedom is found not in the absence of rules, but in the ability to live responsibly within them. Discipline is never an enemy of creativity; rather, it provides the framework within which creativity can flourish without chaos.

After 260 years of Catholic education in this country, we know this much: lowering standards never builds strong communities; it only weakens them. If the Ministry of Education truly wishes to raise the level of discipline and excellence in our schools, then policies must reinforce, not dilute, the values that make for well-rounded, responsible citizens.

Our children deserve the gift of an education that forms both mind and character. To deny them this by lowering the bar of discipline is to fail them.

Respectfully,

Most Rev. Gabriel Malzaire

Archbishop of Castries

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