World
India
Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court has overturned a 50-year-old regulation that dictated strict hairstyle rules for school students, marking a significant victory for student rights and personal freedom.
The court ruled that the 1975 directive, which mandated short hair for boys and ear-length bobs for girls, was unconstitutional and infringed on individual freedoms. The decision is final and takes immediate effect.
The ruling comes after years of student activism, with young campaigners arguing that the regulation violated their dignity and right to personal expression. A petition filed by 23 students in 2020 challenged the directive, leading to this week’s historic verdict.
Panthin Adulthananusak, a former student activist who fought against the rule, expressed his relief at the court’s decision.
“In the eyes of kids like us back then, it seemed impossible to challenge authority. But we wanted to do something,” he told the BBC. “If no student in Thai history rose up to challenge the power of adults suppressing us, it would be a lifelong embarrassment.”
Though hairstyle restrictions had been gradually relaxed over the years, some schools continued enforcing the outdated rule, even going as far as forcibly cutting students’ hair as punishment. The court’s decision reinforces the Ministry of Education’s stance, which had already repealed hair length restrictions in January, emphasizing the importance of “diversity and fairness” in education.
While the ruling is a step forward, concerns remain that conservative school administrations may still impose their own rules. “The decision still leaves a hole for schools to set their own policies,” Panthin noted.
On social media, reactions were mixed. Some users praised the move as a long-overdue recognition of personal rights, while others argued that discipline and uniformity in schools should be maintained.
ALSO READ: Japanese Woman Arrested For Locking Husband Naked On Balcony To Die
