Neither is a henna tattoo. It may last a few days or even week or so but it is not permanent. But my point was if the mother is so concerned about her daughter's appearance, then why the chipped nail polish, different colors on different fingers? Not that I am against nail polish, thus along with my pierced ears, proving I'm some sort of heathen.
Even if this child did not get a henna tattoo she was in an environment where other children were getting them. She is still at risk of becoming comfortable with tattooing and comfortable with the practice of a culture that does not conform with her parent's political, cultural, and religious worldview.
You can't and shouldn't really shelter a child forever and keep them completely away from others who may practice things that does not conform with her or her parent's political, cultural, and religious worldview. A child brought up in such a way, as an adult will have no understanding and no defense of such when she finally gets out in the big bad world.
I'm not saying that I think the school was right either. It sounds to me that they didn't communicate to the parents what henna was or even if they knew it wouldn't wash off like paint. Stupid on their part. But the girl is not scarred for life either. A reasonable parent might have complained but also used it as a learning opportunity with their daughter about what is and isn't acceptable. Of course they also have the option to home school or send their daughter to a religious parochial school if that is their choice.
Let's look at the issue of nail polish. Is that neutral? No, it isn't. It is emotionally cruel for the government to tempt a child in this way. It is emotional child abuse to undermine a child's confidence in his family's values. Nail Polish is not religiously, culturally, or politically neutral. Even simple nail polish is not neutral!
I don't think the government or the school had anything to do with the girl wearing (oh the horrors and cruelty of) nail polish!
Take a deep breath and relax. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Personally, I wear nail polish. I wouldn't mind if my child used it or be in company with other children who wear it.
Here are a few questions:
Would you support imposing my worldview ( and yours) on other neighbors’ children through the use of police and court threat?
Would you suggest that the government tax your neighbor, also by means of police and court action, to establish, uphold, and promote my ( and also your) political, cultural, and religious worldview?
This is what compulsory government schools are. Government schools establish the non-neutral religious, political, and cultural worldviews of the politically powerful and crush that of the weak.
Government schools can't be fixed. There will always be tugs of war over government school curriculum and policies because it is **impossible** for government schooling to be neutral.