Students in Thailand, after fighting with the authorities for years, can now let their hairstyles be.
Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court annulled a 50-year old rule by the education ministry, which had listed down directives on hairstyles for school students. Boys would be short-haired and ear-length bobs were for girls.
The rules have not been in use across many schools but some still followed the 1975 junta-issues directive as a guideline, and would cut the hair of students who didn’t abide by them.
The court has determined that the 1975 directive violated the freedom of individuals and was out of touch with today’s society.
The decision from the court this week came in response to a petition filed by 23 public school students in 2020.
Students have long advocated for hairstyle rules to be relaxed in Thailand saying it dampens their human dignity and freedom over their bodies.
A student, Panthin Adulthananusak, who has recently graduated from university told the BBC: “In the eyes of kids like us back then […] even though it seemed impossible, we wanted to do something”.
“If no student in Thai history rose up to challenge the power of the adults that suppressed us, it would be a lifelong embarrassment,” she added.
Schools normally associated short hair with discipline and tidiness but in recent years reports of Thai schools banning bangs and dyed hair sparked an outcry across the country.
Some schools are known to cut students’ hair during morning assembly to punish the children for their hairstyles and for going against school rules.
The court decision reiterates that the students should be able to decide their hairstyles alone.
“I hope this court’s ruling will set a new standard for the understanding about basic human rights at the school,” says Panthin.
