Fury as girl, 12, put in isolation at school for wearing Union Flag dress on culture day
'Straight A' student Courtney Wright, 12, was left feeling devastated after she wore a Spice Girls -esque dress and wrote a piece about history and traditions as part of the celebrations last Friday. She was told the dress was "unacceptable" and she was hauled out of lessons and forced to sit in reception until her dad collected her.
Stuart Field, 47, said he was stunned to learn that his daughter had been segregated from her friends due to her choice of attire at Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire. The marine restoration worker said: "Courtney was so embarrassed and couldn't understand what she'd done wrong.
"She should not be made to feel embarrassed about being British. And she shouldn't be punished for celebrating being British - nobody else I've spoken to can quite get their heads around it.
"Somebody at the school has politicised a Union Jack dress even though that was clearly not Courtney's intent. Courtney didn't do anything to be political.
"It's about being British, the Spice Girls and even the freedom at being able to wear a dress. This is just what being British means to her."
In a permission letter sent to parents, it said the day was "designed to promote inclusion, understanding, and appreciation of different backgrounds, traditions and heritages". But Stuart said the school's actions went against the message and other pupils with St George's flags and Welsh flags were also turned away from the school gates.
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