Boys free to grow hair as Kerala rights panel crack down on school discrimination

Thiruvananthapuram: Male students and transgender pupils in Kerala are fully entitled to wear their hair as long as they choose, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has ruled, warning schools against penalising or isolating children based on their physical appearance.

Commission member P. Shajesh Bhaskar declared that school authorities must not subject boys or transgender pupils to mental distress, segregation, or disciplinary action over the length of their hair. The rights panel emphasised that educational institutions ought to prioritise academic progress and personal development over a student's outward appearance.

Under the binding guidelines, pupils bear the responsibility of keeping their hair clean, secure, and clear of their face and eyes. For practical sessions, laboratory work, and athletic activities, long hair must be tied back or secured with a hairband on safety grounds. The order further advised against the use of chemical treatments or dyes harmful to health. Crucially, the commission affirmed that non-binary or gender-nonconforming children possess the absolute right to maintain their hair and select their dress code according to their personal preference.

Observing that neither the State Education Department nor the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had issued official policy directives on the matter, the commission called for the swift drafting of unified guidelines. It stipulated that these guidelines must be formulated only after consultation with a newly established committee featuring representation from male and non-binary students. A formal compliance report detailing action taken on the recommendations must be submitted within 45 days.

The directive follows a petition lodged by Indu Menon, a resident of Ramanattukara, who argued that despite claims of gender-neutral schooling across Kerala, male and gender-nonconforming pupils continue to face institutional bias, with long-haired boys frequently singled out and treated as delinquents. The commission simultaneously addressed a separate petition filed by the principal of Sacred Heart English Medium School in Kottakkal, who had sought state guidance after a Class 11 male student repeatedly declined instructions to cut his hair.