Bangkok [Thailand], March 9 (HBTV): The Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand has annulled a long-standing Education Ministry regulation that restricted students' hairstyles for over five decades, Bangkok Post reported.

The court’s ruling, made final on Wednesday, deemed the 1975 regulation unconstitutional, citing that it violated individual freedoms and was outdated in a changing society. The decision marks the end of a contentious issue that had caused disputes among teachers, students, and parents.

The now-abolished rule mandated specific hairstyles for male and female students. Boys were required to have short hair and were prohibited from growing beards or mustaches, while girls were not allowed to wear makeup or grow their hair beyond their ears.

According to Bangkok Post, the court ruled that the regulation infringed upon personal freedoms, conflicted with the Child Protection Act of 2003, and negatively impacted students. The rule originally stemmed from a 1972 order issued by Thailand’s military junta to promote discipline and proper conduct among students.

‘The order of the military regime and the ministry regulation in dispute cannot be considered as being for the utmost benefit of the students,’ the court stated.

The ruling is seen as a victory for the 23 students who first petitioned the Administrative Court in 2020, challenging the 1975 regulation.

While the Education Ministry had already relaxed certain hairstyle and dress code rules in 2024, the court’s decision now leaves hairstyle policies to individual schools. Some institutions have delegated the matter to parents, while others rely on school administrators or joint teacher-parent committees to decide.

(ANI)