Shear Defiance: Thai Students Rebel Against Mandatory Haircuts

[rooster59]

Shear Defiance: Thai Students Rebel Against Mandatory Haircuts

By JAMES HOOKWAY

WAT JINDARAM, Thailand—There’s a distinct buzz in schoolyards around Thailand when the academic year starts every May, and 19-year-old Wattanachai Rojyindee aims to silence it.

The sound is of electric clippers that teachers use to shear students’ hair in a standardized fashion, a ritual that is part of the nation’s longstanding passion for strict dress codes. Mr. Wattanachai, having suffered several of these haircuts himself, has formed the Student Hairdo Resistance Organization of Thailand to encourage schools to drop the clippers.

“It’s not a good look when you are 15 and trying to find your own identity,” he said. “How would the teachers like it if they had to get haircuts like that?”

Full story: http://www.wsj.com/articles/shear-follicle-thai-students-rebel-against-mandatory-haircuts-1466711841

The Wall Street Journal - 2016-06-26

[trogers]

Your primary identity is a student.

And you should have already graduated high school by 18, and then find your identity.

[daveAustin]

The teachers, including the head (), should be made to have the same ridiculous haircuts.

[dhream]

Raised in a conservative country where haircuts were not so boot camp extreme, but still needed to clear the collar.

It was the 70s we hated it.

And it had no bearing on anything in later life.

Other than that 'authority' is mindless without someone keeping the bastards honest by asking the perfectly reasonable question... Why?

[chainarong]

This could be construed in a proper court of justice and in a democracy as an assault on the student by the teacher , no teacher is allowed to touch a student , no student is allowed to touch a teacher , it is also the teacher's responsibility to ensure the student is properly protected , and is also responsible for their well being , that doesn't mean cutting a students hair without that students permission or if a minor the parents permission................................. .

[Dexlowe]

Shave em! Thai kids are such headonists.

[trogers]

This could be construed in a proper court of justice and in a democracy as an assault on the student by the teacher , no teacher is allowed to touch a student , no student is allowed to touch a teacher , it is also the teacher's responsibility to ensure the student is properly protected , and is also responsible for their well being , that doesn't mean cutting a students hair without that students permission or if a minor the parents permission................................. .

In my days, the parents of the child had the option to take their child out and enrolled into another school should they disagree to the disciplinary rules of that school.

Democracy cannot step on rules and order.

Edited June 26, 2016 by trogers

[chainarong]

Your primary identity is a student.

And you should have already graduated high school by 18, and then find your identity.

Weren't you ever a teenager and wanted to change the whole world , those times are a changing cried Bob Dylan and so they did, they changed Bob's bank account , the rest of us ended up primarily, Nowhere Man. ala Beatles.

[halloween]

This could be construed in a proper court of justice and in a democracy as an assault on the student by the teacher , no teacher is allowed to touch a student , no student is allowed to touch a teacher , it is also the teacher's responsibility to ensure the student is properly protected , and is also responsible for their well being , that doesn't mean cutting a students hair without that students permission or if a minor the parents permission................................. .

You forgot 'rights" in this sort of rant you have to mention "rights" either "sacred" or "inalienable human". And what about the 2nd amendment, should they be allowed to carry weapons to school?

[canopus1969]

Student Hairdo Resistance Organization of Thailand

Catchy

[daoyai]

At my US junior H.S. (middle school) in 1969 we had a "sit in" to elininate hair regulations, it worked... probably due to many parents supporting us.

Edited June 26, 2016 by daoyai

[RIJoe]

They should swap the words Resistance and Organization so the the acronym would be SHORT.

[Winniedapu]

They should swap the words Resistance and Organization so the the acronym would be SHORT.

Or Student Hairdo Intafada Thailand.

Has a ring to it.

W

[spidermike007]

I think this is a positive trend. It is about the students gaining some sort of identity, and self esteem. From what I hear, the amount of conformity required, and expected here is extreme. And the students are learning very little anyway, as the educational system is broken beyond repair. So, why not a little push back, against authoritarian teachers, who barely know their own curriculum, and a system that is dysfunctional? Is there any real harm in that?

Besides, most Thai people live within very, very small boxes. Perhaps this will enlarge their horizons, and show them what is possible, with the exertion of free will and passion.

[halloween]

After I left high school, I had more interesting things to think about than high school kids haircuts. OTOH I never had a 'favourite hairdresser'.

Cue George Thorogood - you know which song.

[jamesbrock]

A more apt headline could read: "Shear Lunacy: Thai Students Forced to Get Mandatory Haircuts"

[Wilsonandson]

A relevant news report from Al Jazeera dated 27/5/13.

For most people, how you wear your hair is part of your personal style and expression. But that is not the case in some of Thailand's schools. Thai school regulations on haircuts have become a human rights issue. Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa reports from Bangkok.

[MissAndry]

Student Hairdo Resistance Organization of Thailand

Catchy

They should have called it 'NO to Student Haircuts In Thailand', better acronym.

Edited June 26, 2016 by MissAndry

[Jeremy50]

A bit ridiculous, as at most secondary schools female students can have long hair so long as it is tied back. This relaxing of the law came in about four years ago. Boys still have to have short hair, which is sensible in such a hot country anyway.

[KMartinHandyman]

North Korea has a list of approved hairstyles. Maybe the schools could give them choices like short or shorter. Then it would be the students deciding for themselves.

[Winniedapu]

I think this is a positive trend. It is about the students gaining some sort of identity, and self esteem. From what I hear, the amount of conformity required, and expected here is extreme. And the students are learning very little anyway, as the educational system is broken beyond repair. So, why not a little push back, against authoritarian teachers, who barely know their own curriculum, and a system that is dysfunctional? Is there any real harm in that?

Besides, most Thai people live within very, very small boxes. Perhaps this will enlarge their horizons, and show them what is possible, with the exertion of free will and passion.

Either is unlikely in the Thai education system, it's intended. Haircuts will not do anything at all except perhaps be the thin end of the wedge.

Identity? Nope. Identity as a student comes partially from having a student haircut. A haircut is an arbitrary and ever-changing fashion-based facet of 'identity' anyway. Self-esteem? You're kidding right? Thais already have self-esteem beyond reason, hence the 'face' problem when it collapses.

W

Edited June 26, 2016 by Winniedapu

[Moonmoon]

agree with the student. Thai haircuts r too strict. it is military style 4 by 2 kind of head.

allow the students more freedom in this and more students will feel better and happy when going to school to learn and want to go to school more

and not just feel rebellious as most teens are.

[Strangebrew]

Hair dose not make the man or define him, rules are to teach the young to obey them cause later in life when you work there will be rules to follow by teaching at a young age you avoid conflict later. I'm a 60's person had hair down to my butt, but when I entered the workforce had to conform to work place norms. Thus the school uniform rules in schools here so you can't tell who has and who has not.

[jaltsc]

The teachers, including the head (), should be made to have the same ridiculous haircuts.

Wouldn't it be more beneficial to rebel against the ridiculous facade that they try to pass off as an "education"?

Edited June 26, 2016 by jaltsc

[waldroj]

The long and the short of it, those on top should be setting the example to their "hairs" beneath them!

Seems appropriate that credit for this legacy stems from "another" Nationalist martinet - Plaek, back in 1941.

Is there any restriction on colour (or do we refer to Henry Ford for that answer)?

[amdy2206]

The haircuts are not the major problem but why do the powers to be want everyone to look the same and be the same. Thailand really needs individulism and people acting differently from each other. At the moment all we have is clones. People need to grow and develop in their own ways but this being stifled in Thailand will prevent new ideas being formed and lead to Thailand continuing the same as always, and not advancing. With this attitude, Thailand will always be a third world country!

[Lupatria]

I had long hair in school, during my service as a soldier, in corporate life and still wear it today. I don't know if anyone had a problem with that. Maybe it was pragmatic,- as long as he is doing his job, does it matter?

On the other hand, this "mandatory crew cut" is contrary to men's hairstyle of the last 3.000 years. Thais love to watch their "historical" soaps which show all their "heroic" ancestors had their hair hanging down to the waistline.

In my opinion it's just a worn out tool to suppress youngsters, so teachers can cover their lack of honestly earned respect, and authority by superior knowledge to demand their position in a questionable hierarchy.

[selftaopath]

This could be construed in a proper court of justice and in a democracy as an assault on the student by the teacher , no teacher is allowed to touch a student , no student is allowed to touch a teacher , it is also the teacher's responsibility to ensure the student is properly protected , and is also responsible for their well being , that doesn't mean cutting a students hair without that students permission or if a minor the parents permission................................. .

Yea I agree, but like you said "in a democracy." TIT

Hell many teachers here would be sent to jail if they pulled a fraction of the stunts they pull here as "overseers" of children. Bet they wouldn't try doing the same things out side of their protected environments i.e. schools (term used loosely).

[halloween]

IIRC when I asked, I was told the main reason for the short hair was pediculus humanus capitis control. You know, mechanical dandruff, crawlies, head lice, nits. Outbreaks happened regularly on relatively affluent Samui, as they do in schools everywhere.

Anybody suddenly feeling itchy.

[IgboChief]

“If the boys want to look handsome, well, they’ll just have to go study somewhere else.”

Fair enough, I think -- with almost 60 cm my 10 year old daughter's hair is exactly as long as the staple of Thai Baht I pay the school every 6 month. There was never any discussion about that.It seems to do the trick. Money is the only language these people comprehend.

If the parents and students just got aware of their true power, a lot of things would change swiftly.

Edited June 26, 2016 by IgboChief