For years, authorities in Thailand have prohibited women from wearing their hair down as it was seen as “untidy”. In fact, this rule was so heavily pressured upon students that if they were found wearing their hair below their ears or not up in a hairdo, their hair would be cut by the schools themselves. A petition filed by students in 2020 that spoke out against this rule claimed that it infringed upon their human dignity and autonomy. The petition gained so much traction that Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court eventually came to the decision to allow students the freedom to relax their hair. Although other hair-related choices such as hair dye are still prohibited from school grounds in Thailand, this change was a huge progressive step towards the unlimited hair freedom of students.

Individuality is so important when it comes to the school body, especially in schools where students are expected to wear uniforms. The ability to express oneself outside of school is just as crucial in school, and that needs to be more recognized by districts worldwide. The decision made in Thailand is still limiting, but many students are thankful for the change that will hopefully “set a new standard for the understanding of basic rights.”