Teen fights principal’s decision–and wins.
Hamish Jacobs has won the right to wear a kilt to his high-school graduation.
The 19-year-old Alberta student asked his principal, earlier this month, if he could wear a kilt when he graduates.
The principal said no, because the school’s policy states that male students must wear dress pants to the ceremony.
Jacobs’ mother is from Scotland. Although Jacobs himself has never been to Scotland, he wanted to honour his Scottish heritage by wearing the kilt, which he intended to borrow from his uncle.
After his principal turned down his request, more than 2,200 people joined Jacobs’ Facebook page in support. He was interviewed by a number of newspapers and TV stations, and many people signed an online petition.
After all of the publicity he received, his school’s board of trustees overturned the principal’s decision. Jacobs will now be able to wear a kilt to his graduation.
Jacobs texted his mom to tell her the good news: “Mom, we won!”
Related links:
Here’s a CTV.com article (“Alberta high school student wins right to wear kilt”).
An article in the Globe and Mail (“After a wee bit of publicity, kilt permitted at graduation”).
The original article in the Globe when he was first turned down (“No kilt at graduation, school tells Alberta teen”).
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Writing/Discussion Prompt
The dress code for Jacobs’s school was that boys should wear dress pants at the graduation ceremony. Many schools have dress codes which restrict what students are able to wear, and some schools require their students to wear uniforms. Do you think dress codes are a good idea? Do you think all students should have to wear uniforms at school?
Reading Prompt
Do you agree with Jacobs? Do you think he should have followed the school’s policy, or do you think he should have been allowed to wear his quilt? Explain your answer using evidence from the text and your own experiences.
Primary
express personal opinions about ideas presented in texts (OME, Reading: 1.8)
Junior
make judgments and draw conclusions about ideas in texts and cite stated or implied evidence from the text to support their views (OME, Reading: 1.8)
Grammar Feature: Quotations
Identify and discuss the use of quotation marks in the last line of the article. Identify when and why quotation marks are used in newspaper articles.
