Two sisters of Ghanaian descent have been “unenrolled” from a rural Victoria, Australia high school after they were suspended for not tying their hair back earlier this year.

In July, Amayah and Safhira Rowe, who wear their hair braided, were told they had to have their hair tied back according to the strict school uniform policy observed at Maryborough’s Highview College [high school]. However, the students complained that this caused them physical pain, and led to headaches, and back and neck strain.

The ABC reports that on Tuesday, the school sent a letter to their mother Rebecca Rowe, informing her that Amayah and Safhira Rowe’s enrolment had been canceled. The ABC said the school claimed Amayah “was aggressive” and wore non-compliant jewelry, while Safhira did not attend all her classes.

Now the ABC confirms the Amayah and Safhira, who are in Year 11 [tenth grade] and Year 10 [ninth grade] have been re-enrolled into other schools. However, their mother likened their unenrollment to an “expulsion” and feared it would affect her Amayah’s VCE [high school completion certificate] year.

“We will have to try to get her in anywhere that will take her and hope for the best. That will reflect poorly on her results I imagine,” Rowe told the ABC.

News.com.au has contacted Highview College for comment, however they did not respond at the time of publishing.

In July this year, Rowe said the school should implement a more inclusive uniform policy, after the school’s principal, Melinda Scash was unwilling to renegotiate the rules.

“The principal stated that she made the rules, was not willing to negotiate and if they didn’t like it they could leave the school,” Rowe previously told the Ballarat News.

“She then banned them from classes and asked me to take them home.”

She said it resulted in one of her daughters having a panic attack that required ambulance attention.

As an independent school in Victoria, Highview College is determined by individual schools and their communities. However, there are restrictions that apply to the policing of dress and appearance when related to religious dress codes, as stated in the Explanatory Memorandum in Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act 2010.