KINGSTON, Jamaica —Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) is calling for urgent review and reform of school grooming policies across Jamaica and is inviting principals and school boards islandwide to sign its Child Dignity & Inclusive School Culture Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

FWCF, in a media release on Wednesday, said recent national conversations surrounding grooming infractions in schools have highlighted the need for policies that protect, not penalise, students.

It follows an Observer Online report Tuesday of a mother alleging that her son was removed from classes at Ardenne High because his hairstyle was deemed inappropriate for school. The institution denied the claim that the child had been removed from classes.

READ: Mother says Ardenne High removed son from classes over hairstyle; school denies claim

“Schools should nurture identity, not suppress it,” said Africka Stephens of FWCF. “We are ready to partner with principals and school boards who believe that discipline and dignity can coexist.

“This issue is particularly critical for Black Jamaican children,” Stephens continued. “We must ensure that our approaches to discipline do not disproportionately target or marginalise any demographic group but instead promote fairness, inclusion, and respect while maintaining high standards of conduct.”

FWCF is now inviting principals and school boards islandwide to sign onto its Child Dignity & Inclusive School Culture MOU.

The foundation said the MoU provides a collaborative framework to review and modernise grooming codes, establish child-centred disciplinary protocols, incorporate restorative justice practices, provide sensitisation workshops for staff and student leaders and create mechanisms for student and parent engagement in policy discussions.

Meanwhile, it said participating schools will receive policy review support, capacity-building sessions for teachers and administrators, student leadership workshops and recognition as a child rights-aligned institution.

The foundation also called on the Ministry of Education & Youth and key stakeholders to support nationwide consultations aimed at ensuring school policies reflect Jamaica’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.