Well, you can guarantee that in every case of expulsion, they ran through the long list of measures, including discussion with the parents.

But it's a binary decision at the end : either covered hair is allowed, or it isn't; either the parents are prepared to countenance uncovering, or they aren't. There is no "he promises to be good from now on" type leeway.

What's more, organisationally, schools don't have autonomy to fix local rules. Certainly, short-term permissive fixes have been tried, in some cases; but if anybody (teachers, parents) object, the hierarchy will intervene to enforce strict application.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}