Education Ministry’s ‘haircut enforcer’ becomes unwitting target of students’ anger

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk

 

 

Born into a poor farming family, Education Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Dr Veera Khaengkasikarn may have spoken from experience when he said “your parents pay when you wear long hair”, during a TV debate this week.

 

After all, the cost of shampoo, haircuts and anti-lice medication is something many underprivileged rural families will be familiar with. However, young-generation viewers disliked his comment so much that they began mocking him online. Photos of “hairstyles that block your friends’ view” went viral in the social media – ridiculing the criticism voiced by Veera on Monday.

 

Celebrities like Miss Universe Thailand 2020 Amanda Obdam and singer Jaruwat “Dome The Star” Cheawaram quickly joined the trend of flaunting bold hairstyles to challenge Dr Veera’s traditional view of what “good kids” look like.

 

Veera, who has spent decades working for the ministry, found himself under the spotlight for the first time – but for controversial comments rather than his contribution to education.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/education-ministrys-haircut-enforcer-becomes-unwitting-target-of-students-anger/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-11-27

 

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How would you like it if i got my garden shears out the shed and went to town on your bonce?

 

leave the kids alone you tyrannical dinosaurs! 

Seems like the younger Thais are not going to stand for being pushed around. Good for them

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

challenge Dr Veera’s traditional view

thai tradition is one of the big factors limiting the current society here

It never ceases to amaze me how they are more concerned with the outside/image, yet don't consider the inside/content. 

With the abismal state of education here, haircuts are the least of their problems. 

Length of skirts and hair is more important to the twits running the Education Department than actually educating the students. Is it any wonder why so many students are on the streets protesting?

Appearance is very important to young people.  Just look at the things they buy.  There are reasons for the hair rules and I understand what they were for.  The early rules were as the person said because of maintenance and control of things.  HOWEVER, times have changed.  I taught in a school that did not have hair regulations for the girls and we had some interesting color creations.

 

We also had some interesting jewelry such as ear rings not the normal ones but the ones that make the lobes bigger and you can attach a chain to to hold the student in lace LOL.

 

I think a relaxing of the hair rules in high school may be worth while to trial in a few schools.  

however, cleanliness and style( control and appearance) should be kept in consideration.

I disagree with the desire to get rid of the uniforms.

 

Uniforms furst of all are something that almost all of us wear.  

Also once you get rid of the uniforms it then becaomes more expensive for parents as there then is the peer pressure.  The haves against the have nots.  With uniforms there is at least a partial level playing field

 

Should be concerned about anything growing between the ears, not what may be growing over the ears

The students are being turned into minnions.....look in the centre bottom of the picture ????

6 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Length of skirts and hair is more important to the twits running the Education Department than actually educating the students. Is it any wonder why so many students are on the streets protesting?

For many decades the elite have managed to get away with this garbage and indoctrination with students. However the education system may not have improved over the same time period but this new generations handle on how to use social media most definitely has... it's great seeing the tables turned around for once.

The internet has become a useful tool in their arsenal.

As recently proved with photos of "royalists" causing the trouble at an otherwise peaceful protest by the "bad students" damning evidence of royalist intentions too disrupt democracy at any cost.

 

What do schools have to say about students their haircuts? Absolutely Nothing ????????

10 hours ago, webfact said:

After all, the cost of shampoo, haircuts and anti-lice medication is something many underprivileged rural families will be familiar with.

So let these poor parents decide what’s the best length for their kids’ hair. Not teachers with a superiority complex.

 

Back when I was a kid, I always had long hair as my mum was frugal and didn’t wanna pay for haircuts. The price of shampoo was never an issue as you can buy large containers of shampoo/body wash for next to nothing. 

All the schools I went to had nit nurses with nit combs & and if I remember correctly free nit shampoo, nits don't care if your is clean or dirty long or short, this guy to a certain extent is talking out of his rusty sheriffs badge, as most of them do.

19 hours ago, djayz said:

It never ceases to amaze me how they are more concerned with the outside/image, yet don't consider the inside/content. 

With the abismal state of education here, haircuts are the least of their problems. 

Fascinating culture, is'nt it! ???????? 

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Fascinating culture, is'nt it! ???????? 

meh. mostly smoke and mirrors.

Another Nit Wit !

On 11/27/2020 at 2:15 AM, Liverpoolfan said:

How would you like it if i got my garden shears out the shed and went to town on your bonce?

 

leave the kids alone you tyrannical dinosaurs! 

 

Precisely.

 

I'm sure his comments were well intentioned but this is just another example of how those in power are so detached from modern society with their Authortorian values that no wonder they are ridiculed the world over.

 

What Thailand really needs is a young, fresh dynamic, outward-thinking Goverment who can take the country forward. Those currently in power only know one way. The same way as its been for the past 100 years or so.

 

On 11/27/2020 at 7:22 AM, kingstonkid said:

Appearance is very important to young people.  Just look at the things they buy.  There are reasons for the hair rules and I understand what they were for.  The early rules were as the person said because of maintenance and control of things.  HOWEVER, times have changed.  I taught in a school that did not have hair regulations for the girls and we had some interesting color creations.

 

We also had some interesting jewelry such as ear rings not the normal ones but the ones that make the lobes bigger and you can attach a chain to to hold the student in lace LOL.

 

I think a relaxing of the hair rules in high school may be worth while to trial in a few schools.  

however, cleanliness and style( control and appearance) should be kept in consideration.

I disagree with the desire to get rid of the uniforms.

 

Uniforms furst of all are something that almost all of us wear.  

Also once you get rid of the uniforms it then becaomes more expensive for parents as there then is the peer pressure.  The haves against the have nots.  With uniforms there is at least a partial level playing field

 

I fully agree with you. I was brought up in relative poverty in 50's and 60's the UK, my mother was given help by a charity to buy the school uniform. The school uniform meant that I was not singled out for bullying and derision by the kids from more affluent families. There was no competition to wear the most fashionable and expensive clothing the uniform was only worn at school. There was no hair policy and sometimes that created problems since long hair was very fashionable for boys but some parents would not allow it so boys with short back and sides were derided

Edited November 28, 20205 yr by RobU

The Army Rules, Fall in Line or else

On 11/28/2020 at 1:03 PM, Chelseafan said:

 

Precisely.

 

I'm sure his comments were well intentioned but this is just another example of how those in power are so detached from modern society with their Authortorian values that no wonder they are ridiculed the world over.

 

What Thailand really needs is a young, fresh dynamic, outward-thinking Goverment who can take the country forward. Those currently in power only know one way. The same way as its been for the past 100 years or so.

 

Only 100 years?   More like 500.  It's still a feudal country underneath.  As others have said, most things here are just a veneer 

 

If the Americans hadn't come along with the Vietnam war 50-something years ago and injected billions of dollars into the country, it would still be like Laos and Myanmar.

Some troll posts have been removed.