School row over pierced bellies

Deborah Haile and Chris Osuh

February 03, 2006

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HEAD: Sally Roy.

BOSSES at a primary school have been criticised for saying pupils can have their belly buttons pierced.

Youngsters at the Parklee community school, Atherton, are now allowed to wear a stud bar in their stomachs, as long as it is removed or covered with a plaster for PE.

Headteacher Sally Roy has written to parents to explain the policy, stressing that governors are not encouraging piercings.

But some parents claim the school's stance is encouraging their children to ask for the controversial piercings.

One parent said: "I am a bit baffled by the whole thing to be honest. I have got girls of four and six at the school and I would never allow them to get pierced.

"Saying it is all right as long as it is kept covered sends out the wrong message - kids under 11 should not be getting piercings at all."

Another parent said: "I would rather see piercings not allowed at all because I think kids of this age are just too young."

But deputy headteacher Lyn Evans said: "We have made it perfectly clear we do not encourage piercings.

"What we have done is simply to respond to the fact some parents do allow their children to have them.

"We cannot prevent that, nor do we wish to tell parents how to bring up their children. As for the policy, ours is no different from hundreds of schools up and down the country."

Fact

A statement from the school states: "As the letter makes clear, we are certainly not encouraging piercings, but simply acknowledging that they are a fact of life with health and safety implications for children."

Although you need to be 18 to legally have a tattoo, there are no age restrictions for piercing. But piercers working in the Wigan area say they prefer not to pierce the stomach of a child under 16.

They say changes to the body during adolescence can mean that after a few years the piercing can drift away from the centre, and they say young children can't be relied on to care for the wounds properly.

Zoe Perry, from Bodyworx Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Ormskirk Road, Wigan, said: "Last summer we were inundated with parents bringing children in for stomach piercings. Some of them were nine or 10 - but we just said that was too young. The stomach muscles haven't matured at that age.

"As a policy we say 16 is the youngest, but if they are mature we do stretch it to 14."

Thomas Stevens, at Skin Graffiti, also refuses stomach piercing for under-16s.

Policies on uniform and jewellery are the responsibility of individual schools. Parklee modified its policy with help from the local education authority. A Wigan council spokesman said: "It is a simple, commonsense policy which recognises the school's duty of care to its pupils, while acknowledging that more and more children are having piercings."

Should pupils be allowed to pierce their belly-buttons? Have your say.

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Showing comments 1 to 19 and replies | View All

Terry, Tyldesley (03/02/2006 at 15:40)

Your article says that some parents this is encouraging their children to ask for the controversial piercings, well my daughter asks for chocolate every day but I do what all these parents should do I say 'NO'. They are the sort that blame the school for everything, Don't forget that these kids are your responsibility so don't blame everyone else when things go wrong

Bill, Atherton (03/02/2006 at 18:51)

yet again a school gets it in the neck from the media when all its doing is following guide lines set by education bodies.

These parents who let there kids have these injuries done to them should be ashamed of themselves.

Sharon, Atherton (03/02/2006 at 20:26)

If parents said no to their children and they didn't allow piercings then the issue of whether the school should let children wear them would not come up. Surely the school is acting on this issue because they have had to and they would have taken advice on the matter. So maybe the local education authority should say that piercings of this nature are not allowed in it's schools.

alison, tlydesley (06/02/2006 at 10:27)

I have a child of 15yrs, who attends a local senior school, who allows NO PIERCING whatsoever, so are the rules and regulations going to change for all schools in the U.K.............and if so there is going to be alot more parents who feel like these parents at this school.........Under no circumstances would i allow my daughter to have this done and YES i do agree its the parents..........I FIND THIS SCHOOL RULE DISGUSTING AND SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO CHANGE THE RULES............EVERY PARENT IN THE NORTHWEST SHOULD NOW CHECK THEIR CHILDRENS PLANNER TO SEE IF THEIR RULES IN SCHOOL HAVE CHANGED AND IF SO VIEW YOUR OPINIONS
Does this mean boys will be allowed body piercing or just girls

linda, leigh (06/02/2006 at 12:56)

personally i think this is disgusting, this is now opening to many gates for the children in our society to go and damage there bodies before they are old enough to understand the consequences. Allowing such piercings can cause alot of problems in the future for the children.
The headteacher in this school should be ashamed of herself and should be stressing that the children should NOT be alowed such piercings.....

were is the justice for parents within the schools...

julie, manchester (06/02/2006 at 13:59)

is this real,, there is no way i coud let any of my daughters have body piercing at such a young age,i remember having to be 18 to have mine done,how can these laws change so dramatically in the last10yrs!!!!!!! how can a school headteacher,to whome these young children look up to and respect,say its fine to ware such piercings?at primary school age,children know no better than what they are tought,and to allow or do these piercing on these young ones,is really nothing more than abuse!

james lally, flintshire (06/02/2006 at 21:09)

Whilst browsing your web site I came across the issue of body piercing in a junior school.The uproar it seems came from a letter to parents appearing to say that children could have body piercings,giving the youngsters the weight of the headteacher to back their demand for such novelties.This is indicative of the education system in this country,teachers should be teaching not pontificating on lifestyles.Children already suffer with eating disorders in order to fit in with the slimline models they see on the catwalk or in glossy magazines!. Let us get back to basics and start teaching children the necessary values that they need in order to face the outside world.

Julie Hilton, Hindsford (06/02/2006 at 23:02)

Who made this decision? Authorities or Headmistress and how did they get that job! Sad! Is this how our children are going to grow? Will tattoos be next? A child of this age cannot make a proper decision to do this to their immiature bodies themselves. Therefore it will be the parents overall decision. They are far to young. WHAT HAPPENED TO CHILDREN BEING CHILDREN?

Fiona, Atherton (06/02/2006 at 23:19)

My child is at the school in question and to be honest I find all the media coverage a discrace. The school had no option but to act on the belly button situation and like a previous post are only abiding by the guidelines of the authority. Shouldnt the issue be on the parents allowing their child to pierce their stomachs at ten years old?

paula, atherton (08/02/2006 at 09:34)

fiona has your child got a piercing in her belly? this yes is the parents dicision but a head who children look up to allowing this in their school is a disgrace.
next law in the school being alowed is tatoos... this piercing could lead to alot of problems. children in this society need to be children as alot of parents are letting their children grow up to quick.

Fiona, Atherton (08/02/2006 at 20:35)

My daughter does not have a belly piercing. Even if she begged pleaded the answer would be no! As a parent I decide what my child does not the school. It amazes me these so called parents dont turn round to their 10 year old children and tell them NO! Its not hard honest. From what I have heard a child does have her belly pierced and the school took advice from health and legal edcuation people. What exactly were they supposed to do? exclude a child because of a piercing noone else can see. I can just imagine the fuss if teachers go round checking kids stomachs for belly piercings so they can exclude them all!!

paula, atherton (09/02/2006 at 22:29)

This piercing has been seen for this trouble to start.
"YES" this child should of been excluded from school untill it was removed then their parents might of thought twice about having it done in the first place.
The head of the school only had to say "no" to this piercing as it is school not a fashion parade.
We will never find the truth out who has allowed this to happen as everyone passes the book to someone else. The person who has, will know themselves and should be ashamed of themselves and get the sack!!!!

Carol, Atherton (09/02/2006 at 22:41)

NO NO NO!!!! whats going on? how can someone agree to this!!! this is bad to here a parent will allow such piercing to their own flesh and blood at primary age. This to me has not been thought about at all in school....who has said YES to this needs sacking......

Anon, Manchester (17/02/2006 at 12:52)

I thikn it is unfair the schools are getting teh stick for this. They are not encouraging piercings, just agreeing they will not make children take out piercings. And why should they. If a child doe have a piercing at a young age, I agree it is disgusting, but it is up to the parents to discipline and ensure it is removed, not the teachers!

Anon, Anon (17/02/2006 at 14:49)

The headteacher should have shown some common sense (as some of the childrens parents don't appear to have any) and said no to belly button piercing.

joanne, atherton (18/02/2006 at 11:24)

i do agree that it isnt the schools fault for children having piercings, but when i have children going to this school and they are being told to take their earrings out this is unfair.whats good for one is good for another. this school has changed the schools dress code for one child who has this belly piercing so why is this? the rules have been the same for years. has this parent got something on this headteacher. all this head had to do is say no to all piercings but instead she agreed to this. the other thing what has anoyed lots of parents is a letter bing sent home with the children saying this piercing is allowed in the school. this letter should of been sent in an envolope for the parents not the children.
this school wants to think more about teaching rather than meetings over piercings.

Colin W, Stockholm (20/02/2006 at 07:19)

Parents who allow their children to have piercings at such a young age should have their breeds remove and mbe medically prevented from having more children. They are merely breeding the next generation of yobs and spongers

stephanie age 13, wigan (21/02/2006 at 00:21)

i think that it is perfectly fine for children aged 13 or over to be pierced but kids under 13 certainly shudnt be able to have this done because it may affect their bodily function!!!

Peter, SCOTLAND (21/02/2006 at 23:36)

UNFORTUNATELLY CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS WANTING TO FOLLOW ADULT FASHION. I THINK THE HEAD IS MISSING THE POINT REGARDING HEALTH AND SAFETY. ALTHOUGH SHE IS HALF RIGHT WHEN SHE SAYS THEY MUST BE REMOVED FOR PE BUT TO ALLOW PUPILS TO COVER THEM UP IS WRONG AS THERE IS STILL A PUNCTURE WOUND RISK DUE TO THE ROUGH AND TUMBLE OF A PE REGIME. LOOKING AT FOOTBALLERS ON THE TV WITH THEIR COVERED UP PIERCINGS GIVES OUT THE IMPRESION THAT IT IS SAFE, BUT THESE ARE ADULTS MAKING THE DECISION FOR THEMSELVES. IF THERE IS AN INJURY TO A PUPIL THE SCHOOL WILL BE HELD LIABLE IN A COURT OF LAW. NO INSURANCE WAIVER/RIDER COULD DEFEND THIS CLAIM.

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