The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has taken a significant step towards promoting freedom and respecting children’s rights by instructing 437 schools to allow students to wear casual clothes once a week.
The BMA has also called for schools to relax regulations related to students’ hairstyles and emphasized the importance of respecting individual styles and preferences.
Acting BMA City Clerk Wanthanee Watana issued two orders on June 23, which were sent to all district offices for relay to BMA schools under their jurisdiction. The first order mandates that students at all BMA schools be granted one non-uniform day per week, with schools given the flexibility to agree upon a suitable day in consultation with students and parents. Students who find it challenging to wear casual clothing are allowed to opt for their physical education or scout/guide uniforms. The order also emphasizes that schools must ensure that the new regulations do not violate students’ gender, faith, or diversity, or impede their rights and liberties.
The BMA’s directives also consider the freedom of hairstyles. The second order instructs schools to reach an agreement with students on hairstyles instead of enforcing uniformity. It explicitly prohibits actions that violate students’ rights, and liberty, or cause mental distress, such as forcibly cutting their hair or publicly embarrassing them.
Bangkok Christian College (BCC) has already implemented “casual Tuesdays” since February, providing students with an opportunity to express themselves. However, the policy faced resistance from conservative circles.
The BMA said the measures reflect its commitment to creating an inclusive and respectful environment in schools, addressing concerns raised by student activists, and emphasizing the importance of individual rights and freedom of expression. (NNT)
