For a brief period when I was 14, the only make up I wore to school was black mascara on the outer corners of my eyelashes. As I have blonde eyelashes, this was an odd look (you can imagine), but my mum wasn't really much of a teacher, beauty-wise, so this went on longer then it should have. Then again, my weird mascara technique wasn't nearly the worst offender of make up application at my school - in fact most girls could have benefited from somebody telling them less is more. So I'm kind of supporting the school in Leeds that has giving its students lessons in applying make up properly, despite the criticism it's received for it.
Mount St Mary's Catholic High School has hired a professional make up artist to give girls aged 14 and 15 hour-long after school lessons, teaching them how to apply cosmetics to suit different social occasions, so, as one teacher said, "they're wearing appropriate make-up instead of three-inch thick foundation."
I think it's a great idea - a lot of girls could use some guidance in this area, especially if they don't have big female presence in their lives and their main points of referance include The Only Way Is Essex. Some advice on how to present themselves at interviews can only be helpful to them (especially if that teachers foundation comment is based in truth) - but The Family Education Trust does not. They told The Mirror: "At a time when there is growing public concern about the sexualisation of children and young people, it is irresponsible for schools to provide make-up lessons."
They added, "Parents don't send their daughters to school to learn how to put on make-up but to receive a decent education. The fact that some of the pupils asked for these lessons is no defence."
As long as they are receiving their education though, it doesn't seem harmful to me - maybe if I'd had lessons at school I could have avoided some of the beauty mistakes I made (like the one above, and also flat ironing my hair with an actual iron). But what do you guys think?