Thiruvananthapuram2 hours ago
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed schools not to discriminate against children based on the length of their hair.
The commission said that boys and children who do not identify with a particular gender may grow their hair according to their preference. Schools cannot punish them for this.
The commission issued the order on 17 September. It said that children may also wear clothes of their choice.
Commission member P. Shajesh Bhaskar issued the order. The commission said that hair should be kept clean and properly groomed.
Hair must not fall over the eyes or face. It must be tied during laboratory activities, sports competitions and practical classes.
The commission said hair should be secured with a hairband or by any other means for safety. It advised avoiding chemicals or hair colour that could harm health.
Schools barred from taking action
The commission said school managements cannot mentally harass boys or transgender children because of the length of their hair.
Schools cannot expel them from the classroom. Nor can they discriminate against them or take any other punitive action.
The commission said schools should give greater priority to the children’s education and personality development rather than their outward appearance.
Instructions to frame new guidelines
The commission said that neither the state education department nor CBSE had issued any specific guidelines on the matter.
It instructed that appropriate guidelines be prepared immediately. It said that boys and children who do not identify with a particular gender should be included in the committee framing the guidelines.
These children should also be heard before the guidelines are issued. The commission asked for an action-taken report on its directions to be submitted within 45 days.
Order issued on two petitions
The order came after a hearing on two petitions. The first petition was filed by Indu Menon, a resident of Ramanattukara in Kozhikode.
They had alleged that even schools claiming to be gender-neutral discriminate against boys and children who do not identify with a particular gender.
They had said that boys with long hair are treated like criminals.
The second petition was filed by the principal of a private school in Kottakkal. The principal said that a Class 11 boy had refused to cut his hair despite being told to do so repeatedly.
The principal had sought guidelines on how schools should act in such cases.
