Muammar Al Khadafi

Beards and schools. Not the most controversial of issues, at least until you happen to be a pupil who gets suspended for not shaving, which is exactly what has happened to 15 year old Harrison Cerami, who has been banned from class at Ribblesdale High School for having a beard.

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What's really interesting is, of course, that nothing would have been done if he belonged to one of those religions - such as Islam - which appear to compel the growing of facial hair.

There's not a headteacher in Britain would go up against that, the beard would be allowed without question. Religious requirements would take precedence over school rules, the human rights and discrimination brigade would be out in their thousands if it was any other way.

The most pertinent question might be just how is that equality.

If a rule applies to all then that is equality. If some groups can circumvent it simply by virtue of belonging to those chosen groups then that is inequality and discrimination. Still, that's not a kind of discrimination that any of the rights groups care about.

If Ribblesdale High School wishes to exclude this boy for having a beard then they have a wonderful chance to show that they take equality seriously and to forbid the wearing of facial hair by all pupils irrespective of their faiths.

After all, if we're all equal, and nearly all schools literature takes pains to assure us that equality is at the top of their agenda, that is only fair.

Anything else just wouldn't be equality.