A row over the colour of a schoolboy’s hair should have been dealt with by the Parent Teacher Association, the education minister said yesterday.

Diallo Rabain added that the pupil involved had not been expelled from the Whitney Institute Middle School in Smith’s and that no withdrawal request had been submitted.

He was speaking after a Facebook post by the child’s mother was shared on Wednesday.

The parent claimed the boy’s blond-tipped hair had been targeted with an amendment to the school’s handbook and that he had been threatened with removal from the school.

The mother said that when she allowed the boy to get the blond look in May, the handbook had only required pupils’ hair to be presentable and “not distracting”.

But she claimed that the rulebook had now been made stricter in a bid outlaw her son’s look.

An education ministry spokesman said the school board was looking at the dispute.

Mr Rabain added that the PTA fostered “communication and co-operation between home and school”.

He added that PTAs also looked into “matters of concern to the principal, members of the staff, students, parents, and members of the association”.

Mr Rabain added: “Policies around things such as the code of conduct or uniforms can always be discussed between the PTA and the school leadership to reach an acceptable resolution for all parties.

“However, should any issues arise, in the first instance, contact should be made with the school principal.”

He said if a solution was not found, the assistant director of education would become involved and, as a last resort, the Commissioner of Education.

But Mr Rabain said the ministry encouraged discussions towards “sustainable resolutions”.