The punishments being handed out to middle and high school students who violate regulations on hair length violate civil rights and seem to know no end. Even at schools that at the direction of education officials have created new regulations together in agreement with their students' associations have still stopped only at relaxing the restrictions, and in many cases continue to incur resistance. One worries that eventually students will come to distrust everything about school education.
Last month students held a candlelight protest demanding "hair freedom" and commenced on a signature collection campaign. When education ministry officials told schools to "fix the regulations through discussion with your student associations," it was recognition that students' demands are legitimate. However, there has still been few changes. Internet sites run by students who are part of the campaign receive dozens of reports daily about students with long hair being subjected to the scissor treatment and beaten. Some schools relaxed their rules only to commence on stricter enforcement. Students protest what they say was a rule revision process that used student associations for props and was undemocratic.
The attempt to uniformly regulate students' hair is completely out of touch with the era of independence and individuality. What is so dangerous about having students create their own rules? If you look at the few schools where student associations sought their own answers you do not see anything so radical that our society would not be able to handle.
A national high school students organization was formed recently. The campaign for civil rights, long ignored in the classroom, is becoming more active. The demand for "hair freedom" is but one issue. Student demands must not be seen as rebelliousness. The role of education is to listen to them seriously, and if there are unreasonable demands the issues should be concluded by debate with and persuasion of the students. We hope not to see schools kick students out into the streets.
The Hankyoreh, 16 June 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Education] Take 'Hair Freedom' Seriously |
