Parents’ complaints about tattoos covering the body put teacher Sylvain Helaine (France) at risk of being fired; The incident became the subject of controversy online.
Sylvain Helaine (35 years old, Essonne, France) – a teacher of a local school – is at risk of losing his job because many parents do not accept the fact that he has tattoos all over his body, including his face.
In an interview with BFM TV, Sylvain shared how he was threatened with dismissal because of his unusual appearance. After receiving much criticism about his appearance, his superiors decided not to allow him to continue teaching.
” My appearance annoys some parents. They are parents of other children. Parents in my class still accept this and everything is still going well ,” Sylvain expressed.
According to Barcroft TV, Sylvain got his first tattoo at the age of 27 while living in London, England. After that, he became interested in the art of “Body Modification” and spent 4 years searching and choosing his favorite tattoos.
“ I will never stop tattooing because I am passionate about it. I will continue to tattoo until my whole body is covered with ink. When I first started tattooing, I wanted half of my body to be a mix of old school and Rock ‘n’ Roll, and the other half to draw in a Japanese style, ” Sylvain told Barcroft TV.
Sylvain has been teaching for more than 10 years. Before that, he was a karate and judo instructor. He practices these 2 martial arts every day to maintain his health.
“ Many parents don’t know that I’m a teacher and are suspicious when they see a tattooed man in the playground. I remember once an old woman called my boss to ask: ‘Who’s that weird guy around the kids?’. But when they saw that I was a good teacher, they let it go, ” Sylvain said.
Sylvain Helaine’s incident has created various controversies on social networks. Many people still maintain the view that the teaching ability of a new teacher is the most important thing . Others objected to this idea and thought that Sylvain’s appearance prevented him from teaching young children.
” I’m just a normal person . They shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance when everything is fine ,” Sylvain said.
However, with tattoos covering his body, many people still think that he is not suitable for the education industry, especially when dealing with young children. Some of Sylvain’s students admit to having a moment of panic when they see him.
“ The tattoo around your eyes scared me a bit at first. But my parents explained it to me, so I’m not afraid anymore. Sylvain is one of my favorite teachers, ” one student shared.
