THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ KASARGOD: Higher secondary schools in the State should not compel girl students to wear their hair in plaits, said circulars from the Directorate of Higher Secondary Education and the Directorate of Vocational Higher Secondary Education. They, however, said the heads of institutions may insist students keep their hair tidy as part of school discipline.
The directives follow an order from the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) on August 22 that insistence of double braids violated child rights.
The rights panel had sought an 'action taken' report from the government, the Director of Public Instructions and the Director of Higher Secondary Education in this regard. The landmark order was won by Alsha P S, a class 12 student of Government Higher Secondary School, Cheemeni in Kasargod. She took her school to the Child Rights Commission because, “it refused to see scientific reason”.
Alsha raised the issue of mandatory double braids rule with the school administration several times last year as the chairperson of the school parliament. She pointed out scientific reasons why insisting on plaits was bad for hygiene.
“In the morning, after a bath, we hardly get time to dry our hair, and tying up wet hair produces odour,” she said, adding that it could also lead to fungal infection and rashes on the scalp.
The school, however, would not have any of it. The principal, Prabhavati, had told Express that she could not make an exception for one person. “Moreover, that is how girls in our neighbourhood schools come. That is how we used to go to school,” she told this correspondent.
“Hope that will change now,” said Alsha on Sunday. She said she received phone calls and letters from schools and students from across the State.
Alsha's father Sanal Sha, who is the headmaster of Government Higher Secondary School, Maloth, said several schools continued to “roll their eyes” to pressurise students into coming to schools in plaits. “If they have minimum respect for law, they should allow girls the freedom they have won,” he said.