KINGSTON, Jamaica — The winds of change are blowing through Old Hope Road as Jamaica College signals a bold move toward modernizing its grooming standards. Principal Wayne Robinson has announced the school’s intent to revise its rigid hair policy — a change that strikes at the heart of longstanding, colonial-era expectations.
Speaking candidly to students earlier this week, Robinson acknowledged internal friction around the issue, but remained firm in his vision.
“Not everyone agrees with this — even within our own walls,” he noted. “But there comes a point where we must ask ourselves if discipline is really tied to a two-inch haircut, or something deeper.”
The school’s traditional grooming guidelines, once defined by near-military uniformity, are now under review as part of a broader effort to redefine what discipline and self-respect mean in a post-colonial society. Robinson openly criticized these outdated rules as “colonial vestiges,” challenging the belief that strict haircuts are a marker of good behavior or academic excellence.
A more comprehensive discussion is scheduled for Friday, when Robinson will formally address the proposed changes and offer insight into the school’s evolving stance. The forum is expected to attract interest from parents, faculty, alumni, and cultural commentators alike.
While some within the JC community continue to cling to tradition, others view the shift as long overdue. For a school with a legacy as storied as Jamaica College’s, the moment feels less like rebellion and more like recalibration — a necessary step in preparing young men to walk boldly, and authentically, into a world far beyond the school gates.
