Haircut Rule Relaxation Worries Some: Thai School Regulation

[NoshowJones]

I thought they had short hair cuts to prevent the spread or infestation of head lice. I didn't realise it was to stop them from being "hansum"!

You get head lice in any country. Thai schools are too militaristic, they just love uniforms and authority. Even the three year old kindergarten kids wear similar uniforms to the older students.

[NoshowJones]

Of all of the things that concern me about my daughters education, hairstyle and hair length has not even made it to the list of concerns, nor will it ever.

It should concern you if it is more important than her education, and to the Thai government schools, it is.

[uptheos]

Good gracious! What next critical thinking?

[madmitch]

Many years ago a number of boys were suspended from my old school in England for having hair below the collar, which was written into the school rules.

When the press found out one of the governors had shoulder length hair this issue made the national press, forcing the school into making a u-turn. This was circa 1969.

So come on Thailand, you are only 40 years behind.

What will be next? The abolition of university uniforms in another 40 years?

[Chicken George]

Upside down inside out logic.. I remember back a while ago in the UK if students had short hair they were sent home. Crew cuts were not allowed! Its good npt to follow the crowd and be an individual which it seems Thais find it hard to be.. then we have the Pi Nong thing

[Elfin]

"What will be next? The abolition of university uniforms in another 40 years?"

SHHhhhhh!! Mad Mitch, if that happens Thailand will lose a national treasure-short tight fitting uniforms on female nymphs.

[MaxLee]

Welcome to the year 2013,.... we don't live in the middle age anymore...

[canuckamuck]

I can't imagine scholastic performance could possibly be any worse. It wouldn't matter if the students had long hair, no hair, or never showed up for class.

Teachers that can't teach and students that can't fail; that's what they should be concerned about.

[Jingthing]

It worries me that it worries some ...

[DocN]

If they wouldn't worry so much about "important" things like how long hair should be, they had more time to check, how many childre enter the schoolbus and how many exit....

[Artisi]

More likely a lack of iq than a lack of hair effecting their scholastic results

A little unfair I think on the student, now if you had of said lack of IQ on the part of the "experts" running the education system, I could only be in full agreement.

[Artisi]

"What will be next? The abolition of university uniforms in another 40 years?"

SHHhhhhh!! Mad Mitch, if that happens Thailand will lose a national treasure-short tight fitting uniforms on female nymphs.

Won't happen, they will just wear designer, short, tight fitting gear.

[Buckaroo]

There are many things wrong with the Thai education system.

Mostly in the education system, not the kids.

I was given a teaching job one year ago by the Head of the English Department. Just before I was due to be introduced to the school director the following day, I was asked if I finished my High School education in Scotland. I said yes, and then I was asked for proof of this, like a certificate. I said no, because the school I attended was demolished years ago, then told her where to stick her job and walked out. With a mentality like that, no wonder Thais are so poorly educated. Hairstyles, and suchlike are more important than education to them.

Whats wrong in asking proof of your education? Especially as you were going to be employed as an educator yourself. If it was something as trivial as asking for proof of education that made you walk out, you would not have lasted a week actually working there.

[dunque]

There are many things wrong with the Thai education system.

Mostly in the education system, not the kids.

I was given a teaching job one year ago by the Head of the English Department. Just before I was due to be introduced to the school director the following day, I was asked if I finished my High School education in Scotland. I said yes, and then I was asked for proof of this, like a certificate. I said no, because the school I attended was demolished years ago, then told her where to stick her job and walked out. With a mentality like that, no wonder Thais are so poorly educated. Hairstyles, and suchlike are more important than education to them.

With logic like that, it is no wonder that some foreigners give the rest a bad name.

[winstonc]

who said it was 2013 ,,god man its 2556 way ahead of the western world,were behind them remember,,what have we got to look forward to ,,,,,,,,,,,,,il be the first on the streets protesting if they ban those uni uniforms,,,id love my wife to wear one,,but shed never fit init,hahahahaha,,,ah youth is wasted on the young,,,,unless your jimmy saville

[LucidLucifer]

More likely a lack of iq than a lack of hair effecting their scholastic results

A little unfair I think on the student, now if you had of said lack of IQ on the part of the "experts" running the education system, I could only be in full agreement.

I totally agree with Artisi on this one. You can't so easily blame the students when we all know what a sorry state the education system is in, and that isn't (totally) the student's fault.

[NoshowJones]

There are many things wrong with the Thai education system.

Mostly in the education system, not the kids.

I was given a teaching job one year ago by the Head of the English Department. Just before I was due to be introduced to the school director the following day, I was asked if I finished my High School education in Scotland. I said yes, and then I was asked for proof of this, like a certificate. I said no, because the school I attended was demolished years ago, then told her where to stick her job and walked out. With a mentality like that, no wonder Thais are so poorly educated. Hairstyles, and suchlike are more important than education to them.

Whats wrong in asking proof of your education? Especially as you were going to be employed as an educator yourself. If it was something as trivial as asking for proof of education that made you walk out, you would not have lasted a week actually working there.

[NoshowJones]

Mr Buckaroo, you obviously have not been a schoolteacher in Thailand. I have worked here as a teacher at two different schools for three years. To get these jobs I had to show certificates of my college courses and TEFL courses in the UK, and also my TEFL course in Bangkok, I was never asked for proof of my education from the age of five till I was sixteen. My Primary and High schools are long demolished, so how the hell am I supposed to get proof I attended these schools? My TEFL instructor in the UK told the class that no evidence was required for your'e education up to sixteen years old for working in most countries abroad.

Just suppose I decided to try and get proof of my education up to the age of sixteen. How would I go about it? I have never heard of a Farang teacher yet who had to get proof of their Primary and High School education.

[RubbaJohnny]

Barberism

Tong law for one toe curling for others

[Buckaroo]

Mr Buckaroo, you obviously have not been a schoolteacher in Thailand. I have worked here as a teacher at two different schools for three years. To get these jobs I had to show certificates of my college courses and TEFL courses in the UK, and also my TEFL course in Bangkok, I was never asked for proof of my education from the age of five till I was sixteen. My Primary and High schools are long demolished, so how the hell am I supposed to get proof I attended these schools? My TEFL instructor in the UK told the class that no evidence was required for your'e education up to sixteen years old for working in most countries abroad.

Just suppose I decided to try and get proof of my education up to the age of sixteen. How would I go about it? I have never heard of a Farang teacher yet who had to get proof of their Primary and High School education.

I worked as a teacher here for ten years, teaching all ages. The only place that did not ask for complete documentation of my education was the University I last worked. What ever your TEFL instructor in the UK tells you about expected documents, it obviously has no meaning here in Thailand. To quit instead of explaining that it is impossible to get these documents to me seems extremely hot headed and would be insignificant compared to other problems that would lie ahead of you during your time teaching here.

I just had a quick google, you could try looking at the Edexcel website for information about your secondary education grades.

Edited May 17, 2013 by Buckaroo

[bigbamboo]

Perhaps Thai politicians should be required to have regulation haircuts too so they aren't obsessed with vanity and can focus on their work for the nation, which is why they became politicians in the first place..... right?

Oh, and sewn up pockets might be a good idea too.

[Greer]

More likely a lack of iq than a lack of hair effecting their scholastic results

I really take exception to this - Thai students are no less intelligent than those in any other country, and to make such a derogatory statement is simply being nasty for nothing.

It's not a problem of IQ, its a problem with curriculum, and community attitudes to education - that's where the problem lies.

If a child is brought up to understand that education is provisioning them for the future and a better and more successful life, the vast majority will be ready and happy to learn and apply themselves.

Where the problems occur is when parents with little or no education set arbitrary limits on how they think their children can develop and learn by being more focussed on other issues than the development of the child.

How many Thai adults, especially in the lower economic groups, have any thought or plan for the future beyond say a week or a month or two?

Children are naturally inquisitive, and naturally ready to learn, its the environment in which they grow up that influences and stops them.

[Greer]

Yingluck wants Thailand to become like the West, so "individuality" means more consumerism, eventually spurring more spending on haircuts, hairstyles, unique clothing. Maybe one day the dress code will end those ugly boring uniforms and ugly boring hair cuts. Not that it would improve the quality of any people, but aesthetically thailand has a lot of improvement ahead of it, Thai people in general that I see everywhere dress and look exactly boring, they are conformist it's really horrible. The fashion for women is sleazy for most of them, and for men it's just boring. No personality, no unique characteristics amongst Thai people let new hair fashion in let different clothing fashion come in, burn all those ugly ugly uniforms my God Thailand is boring make it change and improve in fashion.

My goodness.....wrong side of the bed day is it?

Finds Thailand BORING???? Maybe its a different Thailand than where I have lived for over 20 years - the west is boring, but Thailand - nope.

If ME313 thinks all the female fashions are sleazy, then he/she is very definitely associating with the wrong part of the community - Thai women are anything but sleazy - conservative and generally well dressed. The staff in the offices I have worked in were always well presented, both male and female.

[Greer]

There are many things wrong with the Thai education system.

Mostly in the education system, not the kids.

I was given a teaching job one year ago by the Head of the English Department. Just before I was due to be introduced to the school director the following day, I was asked if I finished my High School education in Scotland. I said yes, and then I was asked for proof of this, like a certificate. I said no, because the school I attended was demolished years ago, then told her where to stick her job and walked out. With a mentality like that, no wonder Thais are so poorly educated. Hairstyles, and suchlike are more important than education to them.

With logic like that, it is no wonder that some foreigners give the rest a bad name.

Yes, I have to agree that it seems a very odd thing to complain about under the circumstances - proof of academic status in order to take on an academic role - what's wrong with that - it would have been the same anywhere else in the world.

A little weird to say that the certificates are not available because the school was demolished years before. I have no idea (nor concern) whether my old schools still exist - I keep my own copies of all documentation regarding my education, as do most people working in academic or professional fields.

[Thaddeus]

Children are naturally inquisitive, and naturally ready to learn, its the environment in which they grow up that influences and stops them.

Agreed, most kids are born with the same learning ability, admittedly there will be a number of natural born geniuses and retards, but that number is very small.

That handful at either end of the scale will probably turn out the way they would in any environment, it's the much larger group in the middle that are being let down.

[NoshowJones]

i did not take any academic courses or anything like that, I did not sit any O levels either, if I'm being honest, I was more interested in playing football or guitars although I did finish High School, I had no interest in lessons at all, and always refused to do any homework. I was a bit of a rebel at school although I was never a dunce. I have been a professional or semi professional musician all my working life. I did a college course back in Scotland only because I got a bursary, I used that certificate along with TEFLs both in Scotland and Bangkok to qualify as a teacher in Thailand. I had no qualifications at all when I left school at sixteen.

[kurnell]

More likely a lack of iq than a lack of hair effecting their scholastic results

I really take exception to this - Thai students are no less intelligent than those in any other country, and to make such a derogatory statement is simply being nasty for nothing.

It's not a problem of IQ, its a problem with curriculum, and community attitudes to education - that's where the problem lies.

If a child is brought up to understand that education is provisioning them for the future and a better and more successful life, the vast majority will be ready and happy to learn and apply themselves.

Where the problems occur is when parents with little or no education set arbitrary limits on how they think their children can develop and learn by being more focussed on other issues than the development of the child.

How many Thai adults, especially in the lower economic groups, have any thought or plan for the future beyond say a week or a month or two?

Children are naturally inquisitive, and naturally ready to learn, its the environment in which they grow up that influences and stops them.

I remember a headline in the Bangkok post declaring that iq's in Thailand are dropping, with the average being 89.

[NeverSure]

I don't care if they shave all of their hair off.

Just stop locking little kids in vans and pickups and leaving them in the hot sun to die.

Such priorities.

Edited May 18, 2013 by NeverSure

[Robby nz]

Cant you lot see that this is just a diversionary tactic by the Minister of Education.

He was getting stick over the school closure thing and had to come up with something to get people away from that.

Your doing him a big favor by keeping on about it, forget it and move on, it's meaningless.

[chooka]

Yingluck wants Thailand to become like the West, so "individuality" means more consumerism, eventually spurring more spending on haircuts, hairstyles, unique clothing. Maybe one day the dress code will end those ugly boring uniforms and ugly boring hair cuts. Not that it would improve the quality of any people, but aesthetically thailand has a lot of improvement ahead of it, Thai people in general that I see everywhere dress and look exactly boring, they are conformist it's really horrible. The fashion for women is sleazy for most of them, and for men it's just boring. No personality, no unique characteristics amongst Thai people let new hair fashion in let different clothing fashion come in, burn all those ugly ugly uniforms my God Thailand is boring make it change and improve in fashion.

So you are advocating that thailand conform to a western way of life. I agree with relaxing the hair standards but keep school uniforms until they start university. Some parents are struggling to maintain a household with basic costs like food and utilities and don't need the added pressures of the kids wanting new designer clothes every week so they can keep up with Sally at school. Parents don't want to hear that thier child is being bullied at school just because she is wearing Tesco brand clothing and not brand label wear purchased from Robinson.