Teachers have no right to trim pupils’ hair, according to Thailand’s education minister.

Thailand’s education minister acknowledged that teachers are not allowed to clip kids’ hair as a method of punishment for breaking hairstyle guidelines. Trinuch Thienthong claims that her government has no such policy and that teachers have no right to humiliate kids by cutting their hair.

According to a Bangkok Post report, the minister believes that verbal warnings, assigning demerit points, and requiring students to participate in activities aimed at rectifying their behavior are all acceptable punishments. Cutting their hair, on the other hand, is not an option. Trimming or cutting a student’s hair to punish them, according to Trinuch, could be deemed unnecessarily harsh and possibly threatening in order to induce a change in behavior. She acknowledges that discipline is an important element of the educational system, but she believes that forced haircuts have no place in the classroom and do not teach kids about their duties and responsibilities. She goes on to clarify that there are ministerial laws that allow students in specific areas, such as the dramatic arts or dancing, to wear a hairstyle that meets course criteria.