"Hey teacher, leave them kids alone!" - Thai teachers slammed over "bizarre" hair punishment

[Scott]

After 20 years in the education field in several provinces, I can attest to the fact that this is not a particularly uncommon practice.   In the last 5 - 10 years, it has become less common for such draconian methods, but it still happens that boys have a chunk of hair cut and are told to come back with it cut to that length the next day.

 

It is not uncommon for them to have a barber come in and send all the boys with slightly longer hair to have it cut.  It's part of the dress code.  

 

It has been a common practice for a very long time and most of the teachers would have been subjected to the same treatment.   Most schools don't view it as a punishment.  

 

One of the main goals of schools in Thailand is to produce good citizens, and in Thailand that means conformity.   So, the morning assembly and all the other trappings of Thainess, including learning to wai correctly are taken very seriously.   Once they stop enforcing these things, there will be a big loss, or at least a perceived loss, of control of the young and thus the citizens in general. 

 

Had this teacher thought for a minute that what he was doing was going to get him in trouble, he would not have posted it.  

 

 

[pattayadgw]

If this sort of carry on happened in the west the teacher would be thrown out and probably find themselves facing a court case... unbelievable!!

[Si Thea01]

23 hours ago, DM07 said:

Unfortunately, in Thailand only the students can be punished for being "out of control"....


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

And how pray tell are you aware of this?

[StevieAus]

19 hours ago, Familyaffairs said:

If it was my kid, I'd sue the imbecile who did it !

Totally agree I think in a number of countries it would constitute an offence of assault once you start putting your hands on another person against their will you are in trouble

[DM07]

2 hours ago, Si Thea01 said:

 

And how pray tell are you aware of this?

Oh...you know...I am just doing this magical called READING THE NEWS!

[Si Thea01]

10 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Oh...you know...I am just doing this magical called READING THE NEWS!

Funny man and one who believes everything he reads? Maybe if you were involved in the education field then you would know that many teachers do get penalised.  And yes I am aware that just as many do not and I do not have to do the magical thing, I just see and hear first hand.

[Keesters]

On 5/20/2017 at 4:36 AM, rooster59 said:

To be a person in authority and break the law like this would ultimately result in only one thing - students breaking the law themselves.

Teachers have to set better examples than this, he said.

Same goes for police and politicians.

 

Lead by example. There is only one set of laws and it applies to EVERYONE.

 

[Keesters]

I thought this kind of behavior was outlawed.

 

I find it monstrous that public schools still have a hair length code while private ones don't. On weekends and holiday time when out of uniform it is easy to spot which type of school the kids goes to just by his hair length. I have witnessed private school kids bully a public school kid over this.

 

During non uniform time a kids schooling should be indistinguishable from his appearance. Just as a persons skin color should be ignored when entering a public park..We are all members of the public and all kids are just kids.

 

[soalbundy]

That is assault

[Get Real]

Yep! If you can´t teach, it seems like the inventive ones create something to do anyway to pass time.
However, if my kid came home after someone in school cut their hair. I would have a good mind to slap their fat faces.

[4MyEgo]

I am equally disgusted here as everyone else is, suffice to say that when something happens to a child, the parents need to be swift and hit the nail on the head as quick as they can, the bigger the hammer the better.

 

A relief teacher at a particular semi-private Catholic school that our daughter attends, was called a word in Thai we she didn't understand, this was in her 1st year here, when we moved to Thailand, with her knowing about 30% Thai and me having concerns about picking it up, then one day she came home and said to her mum she doesn't want to go back to that school and starting to cry, her mother asked her what was up, thinking it was just the butterflies, new country, new school, new language, but then she said a new teacher yelled at her because she didn't understand what he was asking her, so he yelled a word at her, not understanding she asked some kids after and they said it wasn't nice, so she asked her mum lost it, and it translated to stupid farang child. Yes very inspiring, and full of confidence for the new comers.

 

We both attended the school the following morning with my wife being as pissed off as one can be, never seen this side of her in the 10 years we have been married, suffice to say, I didn't need to do anything but just stand their while everyone would look at the ground while she made it very public in front of assembly with the head nuns trying to calm her down, with her reply being, "calm down" bring me this snake and I will show you how I will cut off his head" should have had a camera crew filming it.

 

We ended up in the office with the head nun apologising for the teachers remarks and said she appreciated her raising it, but it would have been more appropriate had it been done behind closed doors, with my wife stating that in the open is better, so other children can come forward in the future if anything like this happens, and teachers who think they can hide behind their titles can see it's not going to happen, this all happened when that teacher threw a cup at a student and made headlines, so I suppose it was a build up ?

 

We were assured a meeting would taken place that day and that teacher would be dealt with as he was a relief, he was removed from going anywhere near our daughters class, with her usual teacher calling and stating that arrangements have been put into place that if he has to teach that class due to staff shortages or sick leave then out daughter will be moved to the class next door, suffice to say 3 days later we heard her was transferred to the library where he stayed until he left 6 months later.

 

The sooner Thai's speak up, the better, and the sooner the government makes it a priority to make it public that teachers will be fired for misconduct of their duties, even better. 

 

 

[jacko45k]

On 20/05/2017 at 5:18 AM, canuckamuck said:

When they decide the kids hair is too long at my kids school. They take a scissor and cuts some chunks out. It happened to my boy last semester. Our response was to leave it that way. Our kid didn't care in the slightest, but it bugged the teachers.

A pity you couldn't just take him to the barber before this happened.

 

[DM07]

3 hours ago, Si Thea01 said:

Funny man and one who believes everything he reads? Maybe if you were involved in the education field then you would know that many teachers do get penalised.  And yes I am aware that just as many do not and I do not have to do the magical thing, I just see and hear first hand.

Your point is....?!

[Si Thea01]

1 minute ago, DM07 said:

Your point is....?!

If you can't work it out, then I am not going to waste my time explaining it to someone who appears to have a grasp on the subject.

[canuckamuck]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

A pity you couldn't just take him to the barber before this happened.

 

A pity the teachers have such small lives they need to feel superior by dominating little kids and trying to force the parents to comply to their whims.

[tominbkk]

Because we all know the best way to bring out a person's critical thinking skills is to shave their heads against their will.

[Tilacme]

Worse things happen at sea.

[Moonmoon]

I am Asian and I had gone through this kind of punishment before. I would say this only made me hated school and teachers more at that time. 

Did I turn out alright even I like to disobey my teachers and break school rules every now and then? 

ok lets just say my businesses are doing well and I've just bought a brand new car recently. 

[Thongkorn]

If this idiot teacher did this to any of my children he would instantly turn me into a Magician. Because i would make the clippers or razor disappear,  straight up his arse.

[Laab Muu]

Many of the posters complaining about this and suggesting the parents sue the teacher etc, are the exact same posters who in other threads moan that the little darlings are never 'told no' when they are younger, and so grow up to be self entitled little monsters.

 

Make your mind up which way you want it ladies.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Laab Muu

[whaleboneman]

7 hours ago, Tilacme said:

Worse things happen at sea.

This thread is getting boring...let's hear some good old sea stories now.

[kannot]

On 5/20/2017 at 11:27 AM, Fulwell53 said:

Yes it really is as simple as that.

Comparing Singapore with Thailand is really comparing apples with apples.

Love it when you can see research, thought, marshalling of facts have been thoroughly applied.

Well done.

That is the singapore where opposition parties barely and have never existed?

Where lee kwan yiew's family still maintain an iron grip.

???

and  it  WORKS!!

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

A pity the teachers have such small lives they need to feel superior by dominating little kids and trying to force the parents to comply to their whims.

Their whims? Surely they are simply following through on school regulations. If you don't like them another school is a possibility where they are less stringent. I recall being required to get my hair cut in my school days... but of course the teacher did not hack at it first, may have got a 'playful' tug!

Edited May 22, 2017 by jacko45k

[mikiea]

On 5/20/2017 at 4:47 AM, optad said:

Apart from being 'illegal' , this guy should have had an ethical centre towards his wards. Children, /your students/ are not playthings. Serious breach of conduct.

 

In any event, when teachers become adversarial, they have lost. 

 

Sack first for standards sake. Let police mull.

teacher is at best a tardareno....pedo freak at worst .....

[YetAnother]

well if it really is illegal , and now public, where is law enforcement ?

[canuckamuck]

24 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Their whims? Surely they are simply following through on school regulations. If you don't like them another school is a possibility where they are less stringent. I recall being required to get my hair cut in my school days... but of course the teacher did not hack at it first, may have got a 'playful' tug!

Yes it is a whim, this particular teacher is definitely the, take it out on the kids variety. And what is wrong with a note to the parents clipped to the homework. Also this is a village school. Kids from 5 other villages come here, so no, there are no other options.