Court ruling lets Thai students decide their own hairstyles

(Web Desk): Students in Thailand have won the right to choose their own hairstyles after a long fight with the authorities.

Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court recently canceled a 50-year-old rule set by the education ministry that had strict guidelines on hairstyles for students. The old rule required boys to have short hair and girls to wear ear-length bobs. While many schools had already stopped following the rule, some schools still enforced it and cut students' hair if they didn't comply.

The court decided that the 1975 rule violated students' freedom and was outdated in today's society. This decision was made after 23 public school students filed a petition in 2020, challenging the old rule.

For years, students in Thailand had been pushing for the freedom to choose their hairstyles. They argued that the rules hurt their dignity and restricted their freedom over their own bodies.

In the past, many schools linked short hair with discipline and neatness. But in recent years, there have been reports of schools banning things like bangs or dyed hair, which caused protests across the country. Some schools even cut students' hair during morning assemblies as punishment for not following the rules.

The court’s ruling now gives students the freedom to decide their own hairstyles.