Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Learn more
 

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Should schools be allowed to cut the hair of its pupils?

    By Xavier Lur | Yahoo! Newsroom – Wed, Jan 11, 2012

    A secondary school’s disciplinary act of giving one of its students a haircut has sparked debate.
     
    This after a secondary 2 student of Springfield Secondary School had about 7cm of his hair cut off, supposedly for turning up to school with long hair styled to the side, even though his mother claims her son had gone for a trim four days before the school reopened.
     
    The enraged mum, 43-year-old Madam Yeo, proclaimed: "Who gave the teacher the authority to do such damage?" after school’s forced haircut left her son with uneven patches on his head.
     
    She has since lodged a complaint to the Ministry of Education in the case which was first reported by The New Paper.
     
    Yahoo! Singapore understands that most secondary schools here have a policy that allows teachers to cut students' hair if it is of an unacceptable length (such as being over the collar).
     
    But it usually does so only when students refuse to get their hair trimmed despite repeated warnings. Even then, they will either engage a barber or the school's discipline master will do the job.
     
    Schools with such a rule include Evergreen Secondary School, Hai Sing Catholic School, and Ngee Ann Secondary School, according to students studying there.
     
    Grace Ong, 16, an ex-student of Evergreen Secondary School, told Yahoo! Singapore that students are informed one or two days prior to a spot check, and if a student's hair is of an unacceptable length or style, the school's discipline master will cut it.
     
    Secondary 2 student Zilazamira, 14, from Hai Sing Catholic School, said a warning will be given beforehand, but if the student ignores it, the school will then intervene. An English teacher from the school, who declined to be named, has confirmed with Yahoo! Singapore that such a policy is in place.
     
    "We will first give a warning, but if they don't listen, the school will cut it for them, and parents will be informed subsequently," the teacher said.
     
    Netizens voice their views
     
    The case has also sparked debate on social media.
     
    Part-time sales promoter, Zheng Bolin, 19, told Yahoo Singapore over Twitter that: "Definitely no (to schools cutting hair), as students are supposed to be able to make the choice by themselves, and not being forced to make it by a higher authority."
     
    On the other hand, Joyce Ang, a mother of three, believes that if repeated warnings were given to students, she does not see the reason why schools should not intervene.
     
    "A school has its set of rules and regulations, and if a student flouts it and refuses to obey it, I think that the school should be allowed to do what's necessary, including cutting the hair of students," said the 46-year-old civil engineer.
     
    Twitter user Terence Yeo, 48, a general manager, said he supports such a policy, but feels that students' hair should be cut by a proper barber on standby with him paying on the spot, instead by a teacher.
     
    At the end of the day, the matter comes down to  how far schools can go to enforce discipline versus the parental responsibilities over their own children.
     
    But where do you draw the line?

    Click here to get the latest news on your mobile!

    How do you feel about this article?

    Loading...
     
    • DJ
      DJ  •  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  •  4 months ago
      numerous warnings....no use... discipline begins at home. The school is a public institution and not a private or personal property of the student....
      • Lim
        Lim 4 months ago
        Like you said, discipline begins at home. Just look at Mdm Yeo. Complain for such thing. School will have a very hard time controlling kids if the kids have no discipline.

        I will expect school to also teach some moral values
      • No 2nd Chance
        No 2nd Chance 4 months ago
        Yes, schools allowed to cut students' hair only if its JEAN YIP's Hair Stylist... :
    • rangerboi
      rangerboi  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Suddenly remember the NSF sudden death case. The sikinna in question should be ashamed of himself. Plus whoever are the ppl who reared him up this way. -.-
    • Caesar Augustus
      Caesar Augustus  •  4 months ago
      Higher authorities will cut when they join NS. So why complain now.
    • MichaelS
      MichaelS  •  Amsterdam, The Netherlands  •  4 months ago
      Even army camp cut recruit hair(For free) and parent are not suppose to intervene.
      • Leo
        Leo 4 months ago
        its not free, obviously you have not done NS
      • Bohpien Logic
        Bohpien Logic 4 months ago
        Leo,

        Right on.....
    • m-K
      m-K  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      HAIRDO COUSNLIN?
    • chee
      chee  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Now kids are supper, not only hirecut, kissing, hugging and touching each other in the park at Serangoon Garden Park with the school uniform loh…. at 7.30pm may by until 10pm
    • asttan
      asttan  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      what is the ministry reply?
    • RED LIZARD
      RED LIZARD  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Good luck to the boy's PC comes NS time, he will probably go deaf from the mum's barrage....
    • shirley
      shirley  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      If it is the first day of school, the teacher or discipline master should give a verbal warning and allow the student to have his hair cut after school and make sure the student is aware that the his hair will be cut in school if he returns to school the next day without having his hair cut.

      Discipline is important, it has to be done in a proper way, students learn learn from teachers..
    • chiatboiparkotansee
      chiatboiparkotansee  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      I do know whether the student"s mother (family) is local.!!
    • wkbdr1
      wkbdr1  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      if the parent is tooo stuoid to realise that long hair is an issue in strong, it should be fine to snip the lil shits head. then caned the idiot after! punk ass!! make money first before trying to get in style
    • K2
      K2  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      I wonder what will happen to this kid when he is in NS...
      • Lily Me
        Lily Me 4 months ago
        absolutely nothing, because the world won't end if a guy decides to grow out his hair.
    • jedi
      jedi  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Sembawang AirBase always have a barber for reservist like us when we report for ICT. Company CSM will catch long hair and dyed coloured haired reservists for special barber's treatment. Cheap and good. School can learn from Sembawang FDS. ha ha
    • YY tell me Y
      YY tell me Y  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      obvious both school and the student are in the wrong
      • Priscina
        Priscina 4 months ago
        yes, sch is wrong cos if mum is warned abt the long hair then sch need not step in n cut awfully which then will affect student 's future and mind psychologically. Mum if d principal had talked to u than sch shld continue disciplinary action agst u n child for breaking disciplinary sch laws.
    • Terence
      Terence  •  4 months ago
      if that boy go army hor.....cannot touch his hair.
      ask the maid cut for him la.
    • ong w
      ong w  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Worst, this year 3 top students in GCE "O" level, 1 from China, 1 from Malaysia, only one is a Singaporean. This happened a few times in the past few years from PSLE to GCE "A" level. Sooner or later both will be come "imported" Singaporean. That is why there are so many FTs around.
    • fed up
      fed up  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Long hair doesn't mean ah beng botak meaning no hair can be ah beng
    • Peanut Farmer
      Peanut Farmer  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      Photos of the disciplined student should be taken by school at before & after.
    • Whyte
      Whyte  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  4 months ago
      School is more than just education; it is a place where students learn about moral, discipline, and values.

      I had been a relief teacher before, so at the very least I know some students tend to be rebellious and take no heed to what the teacher or the school says. They make it their "role" to find loopholes in the school's system and to be in the "spotlight".

      Having said that, I totally agree that how you look does not affect your thinking and learning ability. But a student should look like a student, and this is all about discipline. If you feel otherwise, what's the need for school uniform then?

      I feel that it is not wrong for the school to cut, but I suggest that they should send the student to a barber to cut. The school can notify the parents before doing so, and if the parents disagree, ask them to bring their child home and do their own haircut. It is the student's loss to miss classes anyway. Take a photo before and after haircut. At least that was how it was implemented back in my school in those days.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  4 months ago
      why not have a "barber's day" to be charge to the school before opening of class? standardization is what they want so standardization they get
     Post a comment

    Featured Blog Posts

    Show More
    More from Yahoo! Singapore