City Hall has relaxed dress rules at all 437 schools under its supervision to allow students to wear casual clothes and any hairstyle at least once a week.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced the changes in two letters to all district offices and the 437 BMA-run schools, easing rules on uniforms and hairstyles to avoid violating their rights.
The letters were signed on June 23 by deputy city clerk Watthanee Wattana, who is acting city clerk.
One of the letters gave guidelines on hairstyles for students, in accordance with the Education Ministry’s announcement on Jan 16 this year revoking regulations on student hairstyles in a show of respect for their rights and dignity.
The city administration asked the schools to draw up regulations to allow students free choice of hairstyle on the basis of good hygiene, cleanliness, promoting personality and confidence.
The other letter gave guidelines on students’ clothing, citing the Education Ministry’s regulation on school uniforms that stipulates that any education body that requires students to wear boy and girl scout uniforms, territorial defence uniforms or traditional clothing on any day should take into consideration both its suitability and the state of the economy, to lighten the financial burden on parents.
The BMA asked its schools to draw up regulations to allow students to don casual wear at least once a week. If students could not do this, they could wear their school uniform, physical education uniform or other uniform the school had.
The schools were asked not to do anything that would affect students’ physical and mental freedom, and take into account the diversity of identity, religious beliefs and student sexuality.