Cheers, Royston, thanks for the response... I think Ged favours the 'Morris Smurf' look.

Villan, I don't think the school is assuming the Morris Side is racist. I think they're assuming that parents and others will associate blacking up with racism. Certainly there's a discussion to be had, but in the meantime better they're in school, greenfaced or redfaced and dancing than sticking to their guns over a relatively minor detail and excluded. Both sides of the dispute could be looking to meet each other halfway...