It seems the private school are wanting to keep things neet and tidy and keep the potential for rebelion at a minimum, and tatoos and unusual piercings represent rebelion. In public school, I can't see why such a policy would be in effect unless that particular principal was really old fashioned, or perhaps the parents decided against it at PTA meetings.

Myself I've seen few tattos that I thought enhanced a person's beauty. I've seen lots of cool body art, but blue and green skin just ain't pretty to me for the most part. Although...I do like the Iroquoi  and Maori traditional tatooing (blue lips excluded) and other ethnic types I've seen.

They are beautiful, I agree. I suppose the school stance is meant to oppose gang-style tats, but that's easier to do if they just ban all body art. Now me, I'm thinking of getting a tattoo. I want one that says "The plane! The plane!"

Censorship is always controversial. Even if it means telling a 14 yr old teenager to cover up, then again, who lets their 14 yr old get inked at that age!? I speak for myself when I say, I love tattoos... on other people. My mother raised me a prude. But this year I did something daring and got a lil yellowbird, swooping down for the kill, on the left side of my chest. Honest to "G", it did not hurt & it only cost $40. 

.

As for peircings, I have had 6 of them at one point & they have all come out for various reasons, number one being I could not have facial peircings as a security officer; number two, I thought they were pretty nifty until they started getting infected & then I worried about scarring my pretty lil face up. So needless to say, I grew out of that phase. Now I see youngsters running around with cheek dimple peircings & think, "OuCh. I wonder how much internal pain they had to be going thru to get THAT done?'

Elanorgold, i think a strength rune tatooed on your thigh would be cool ^_^ (now i know what it looks like, thank you google! d(^_^)b*thumbs up*)

I know of several workplaces that make employees cover visible tattoos as well, so I'm not surprised that a public school would ask the same. 

(The workplaces I've seen request that have been places where professionalism in appearance should not matter like a pizza parlor)

I, myself dress on the side of 'business' even when I'm just going to the mall with my daughter, but under that I have 2 tattoos, a small one on my hip and a huge sprawling tattoo covering my back.

I'd guess that the school is trying to cover their behinds if a students parent complains of pressure caused by others examples to their child.   Silly but take a look at these forums, sensitivity is everywhere. 

(for example.... I posted a thread with an insensitve title, with topic content asking an open question, and one member wrote on my profile that I was basically saying it was ok to force rape victims to relive their horror and promote killing of baby animals - my post had nothing to do with rape or baby animals btw)

lol that's cute -^_^- what is the tattoo of, if ya don't mind me askin'?

Private schools / Catholic schools sicken me.  There is a school in my area that is Catholic (also in Ontario)  that suspends students for un-tucked uniforms.

How does that help a student?  Students should be suspended if they are likely to harm another child, or get in the way of the learning process of their peers.  Not if they are not conforming to rules that really do not change a child's education.   Catholic schools replace social studies and career studies with religion.  Another no-no in my books.  Many parents only send their children to Catholic and Private schools for a "better" education.   I also find that those types of schools are adimate about their "image" to the public, just so more children sign their kids up.  I've actually heard a teacher say that Catholic teachers are pressured to give better marks to relfect on the school's appearance....

I say teach diversity, not conformaty.  People who are subjected to distinct religions, cultures, ways of life, are more likely to look down apon people who have different opinions than they do.  That is exactly what causes wars, hate crimes, discrimination, "class" status.... fuels marketing... all the problems with society. 

I have 2 piercings, and 3 tattoos.  All coverable, because I know that my opinions may be discriminated against.  "Not that I have a problem with it.... but... other people may".   That should not be an issue.  People should not be judged on appearence, in fact other people shouldn't judge others... Last time I checked, God is the only judge, and I highly doubt (if there is a God) that he/she discriminates due to appearence. I find that the religous people, who say that they believe that God is THE judge, are the most judgemental, and feel that they are better than others for being "A good (insert religon here)"

Yes!

as a personal response, I find body piercings quite repulsive. It may well be just me, but when I see them I think of bad sanitation and disease. Similarly, I don't find tattoos beautiful. Let's get serious, the average joe who learns how to use a tattoo pen and draw  pictures of a heart with Sadie written in it over a flabby belly is not likely to be a picasso.

But, hey, you want to punch holes in your nose and have somebody paint a rose on your rear end - it's none of my business.I'm not crazy about bowties either. But it's none of my business and none of the school's business.

Thanks for sharing that. A lot of the fundies that I grew up going to church with would say it was an upside down, broken cross. I never believed that. Until now the best explaination I had heard was it was a missile and then a circle with a slash through it saying NO.

That's an interesting point. A child could get a tattoo that would be offensive and unsettling to others. Obviously, a parent should intervene. But if one doesn't? Does the school have the right to act in place of a parent?

I really don't know. I can see so many problems either way.