News Forum - Beauty brand wants to end forced haircuts in Thailand’s schools

[Thaiger]

The Thai office of one American beauty brand wants to push Thai schools to ditch their mandatory haircuts for students. This news comes after the brand, Dove, has started working with Girl Guides, Thailand’s version of Girl Scouts, to empower women to reach their fullest potential. This week, Dove launched a campaign called #LetHerGrow, and released an ad about the impact of forced haircuts on girls. The video shows young girls having their haircut all in the same short bob, and crying. It then show older girls and women who all have their own unique hairstyles, and are confident. The […]

The story Beauty brand wants to end forced haircuts in Thailand’s schools as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Fanta]

I didn’t know that this affront to self esteem even existed. I guess this answers my question “Why the hell would you cut your child’s hair like that?” 

[Ramanathan.P]

First time I am hearing that a country is forcing its students to have their hair cut.  Students should be allowed to keep their hair, especially girls, as long as they are abide by a set of guidelines in managing their hair from flying and dangling around when they are in school. If cropping the hair of students it is a standard rule, then I feel that it should be applied to teacher's also....

[Mazz11]

When I was young, men and boys could not enter Singapore with hair below the collar.

My brother had to cut his hair before leaving Australia.

[Saltire]

I can't find the link but I am sure a couple of years ago they changed this but left it up to each individual school to drop it or enforce.

My local high school still enforces the standard haircut and I know from all of my neighbours they loathe it.

After 14 years old they can grow it but colouring is still a no-no.

Another Thai example of national inconsistency.

[Noble_Design]

I'm all for freedom of haircuts for students but when a big corporation is pushing for it, it just smells like they are doing it for an ulterior motive i.e increasing the sales of their product and making more money.

[Ramanathan.P]

17 minutes ago, Noble_Design said:

I'm all for freedom of haircuts for students but when a big corporation is pushing for it, it just smells like they are doing it for an ulterior motive i.e increasing the sales of their product and making more money.

For sure...there is always a hidden agenda. Even the beauty pageants where they select beauties are based on country is also of commercial interest. They will focus on a beauty from a country only if their sponsors can make money by selling their products in the country. If a particular country is of no commercial value for cosmetics sales, those girls from such countries will be eliminated in earlier rounds. This has been happening from the very first global Beauty Pageant.

[Farang-Ba]

I’ve noticed that girls who go to private schools can have long hair but girls who go to public schools still have to have short hair.  This is definitely not fair.

[Noble_Design]

24 minutes ago, Farang-Ba said:

I’ve noticed that girls who go to private schools can have long hair but girls who go to public schools still have to have short hair.  This is definitely not fair.

What are you talking about? It's like saying it's not fair that those who go to private hospitals get better treatment than those who go to government hospitals. 

[HolyCowCm]

I think depends on the type of school and whether in a city or out yonder somewhere. Part of it may have been for lice back in the day and a cleanliness factor. Another part was making the boys conform to a semi military BS look. For kids from CM schools, my 2 daughters were ok and my son always on the having to get it cut side. He hated it and is sooo happy to be out from having to conform, and this was all through schooll and not just the last few years of him doing the voluntary school military training to keep out of the draft. Now he is just a normal looking "university kid with his hair. He will never ever cut it like that again.

There are many reasons for their dinosaur hair rules not just one, but it is BS if you ask my kids or me and the Mrs. 

[farang]

yes it should be stopped and now!!!what a stupid controling thing to do to young kids.i hope all the moms and dads of these young kids raise hell and refuse to get the young kids hair cut!!!thai girls have beautiful hair and it should be a crime to control a person with this stupid law.

[birdman]

What about uniforms?All those little rules like sitting for hours in the hot sun

just waiting for a teacher to show up and other things like that are just there

to keep the sheeple in line.

Having a rule is one thing but letting a teacher cut hair forcefully just to show

who is in power is  absolute madness.

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Faz
image removed in breach of FG's.

[Cabra]

Uniforms and standard haircuts for girls and boys has been the Thai way forever. And while I might not agree (as a foreigner), I fell like an American Corp making noise about this is inappropriate and overstepping. If Thais are outraged then why have they not spoken up before now? In my opinion, the worst thing that can happen to Thailand is if they start adapting to American standards of what Americans think is right and wrong. What makes Thailand beautiful is their own ideas of identity and culture, not the imported version of another countries ideals.

[HiuMak]

I reckon it's more to do with discipline having a neat haircut/hairdo and wearing uniform.

Big brands pushing this has underlying agenda and knowing most Thailand population always putting beauty in a higher social level.

[Soidog]

On 5/6/2022 at 3:06 PM, HolyCowCm said:

Another part was making the boys conform to a semi military BS look.

I think that’s correct. I once stayed at a hotel in Udon which overlooked a school. Each day the poor kids were lined up and inspected by some arrogant teacher. They then literally marched in to class while teachers inspected them as they went by. Flags flying and national songs blaring over the Tannoy system. It was like pre-school for a military boot camp. Laughable if it was so tragic. 

[HolyCowCm]

5 hours ago, Soidog said:

I think that’s correct. I once stayed at a hotel in Udon which overlooked a school. Each day the poor kids were lined up and inspected by some arrogant teacher. They then literally marched in to class while teachers inspected them as they went by. Flags flying and national songs blaring over the Tannoy system. It was like pre-school for a military boot camp. Laughable if it was so tragic. 

And why do you think they have the Girl and Boy Scouts as mandatory? They even have to carry their own sticks that simulate something. Brainwash training but maybe some of it was good and fun to do.

[Soidog]

I’m sure it is fun. That’s the clever part. It fully engages the youth. Hitler did a similar thing if I recall. 

[palooka]

On 5/6/2022 at 3:06 PM, HolyCowCm said:

lice and a cleanliness factor

Wifes a teacher and that is the answer she gave me on the subject.

[palooka]

For those interested.

National Scout Organization of Thailand - Wikipedia

Scouting was first introduced in Thailand as a branch of the Wild Tiger Corps^{[citation needed]} on July 1, 1911 by King Rama VI, who is known as the Father of Thai Scouting. Thailand claims to be the third country in the world to establish Scouting,^[2] but it was more likely fourth.^{[citation needed]} King Rama VI brought back the idea of Scouting from Great Britain where he studied.^[2]

[HolyCowCm]

34 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I’m sure it is fun. That’s the clever part. It fully engages the youth. Hitler did a similar thing if I recall. 

My son only liked a small tiny portion of it but in the end despised it (High School). Both son and daughter hated dressing up for it too. It might be out of someone's copied handbook from a Field Marshal at one time or the other.

[Smithydog]

Quite frankly I am more concerned about my daughter's school grades and that she feels safe and comfortable rather than policing a hairstyle.

I accept schools may instigate uniform standards, but feel that when they become the main subject of discussion, rather than education and behaviour in general at school, then the focus is simply in the wrong place.

I am not paying for the school to takeover my parental responsibilities in setting appropriate guidelines on what are societal standards for my daughter. That is the role of myself and my wife. If the school is not happy, then they can talk to me so we can all be on the right page and work together with my daughter to smooth over any bumps.

Not that any of that is needed as she is a sensible and respectful young girl, like the majority of Thai students I have encountered. And the only "brainwashing" she had from the Scouts was presenting herself the best she could in her uniform, to show respect and to have fun!

[palooka]

ref earlier post. 'Wild Tiger Corps' is a very interesting read and a bit anti army ie Pnut and Co.