Form five student files complaint to equality watchdog over hair discrimination

A form five student said the Equal Opportunities Commission has accepted to hear his case after he had been forced to have his hair cut to avoid being suspended from school.  

The news came after the student - Stanley Lam of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Fut Nam College accused his school of violating the Sex Discrimination Ordinance and ignoring issues relating to gender dysphoria.  

In a video uploaded to his Instagram and YouTube accounts, he argued that boys having long hair would not undermine a school’s reputation, adding that the equality watchdog will investigate or mediate in the dispute.  

According to the school regulations at most of the city’s local schools, boys are not allowed to keep long hair. However, Lam believes that the hair ban is in violation of the Sex Discrimination Ordinance.  

Lam said the hair ban is outdated in modern society and called on schools to abolish the ban.  

In response to media inquiries, the EOC said it adheres to the principle of confidentiality and will not disclose whether it has received particular inquiries or complaints or their relevant details.  

Lam mentioned in his video that former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung has also filed a judicial review on the law that forces prisoners to cut their hair short.  

Commenting on the matter on Wednesday, the city’s education chief Choi Yuk-lin said schools can handle their own matters relating to male students who want to have their hair long and that different schools have their own culture and set of rules.   

Choi believes that each school, apart from teaching students knowledge and skills, has the duty to set up rules for values education and cultivating ethos.  

Meanwhile, the school confirmed to the media that the EOC had intervened in the case.  

The school pointed out that it has a set of regulations to help students establish good living habits and a healthy image to prepare them for society, on which the requirements for student grooming and clothing are based.