By Bae Keun-min
Staff Reporter

Middle and high school students in Seoul may soon be able to wear their hair at any length as they are to participate in the decision-making process regarding the school rules on their hair length.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that it has set new guidelines regarding regulation setting for its middle and high schools.

Previously, the steering committee of a school, comprising teachers and representatives of parents of students, has decided the regulations.

Since October 2000, the government said it basically endorses students’ right to decide on their own hair length, letting individual schools establish their own rules in consultation with their provincial education office.

The guidelines have come out in response to a planned street rally by teenagers due this Saturday in downtown Seoul to call for the lifting of strict school regulations on hair length.

According to the new guidelines, a revision of rules for hair length needs to collect opinions from students and representatives of students will be able to be present in the steering committee to express their views.

``Regulations for hair length have to be decided autonomously through sufficient discussions and opinion gathering processes where all students, parents and teachers participate,’’ a city education official said. ``Thus, we have delivered the guidelines to schools.’’

The city education office has also ordered schools not to cut students’ hair by force.

However, the new guidelines will not affect a planned street rally, initiated by an Internet student group (http://nocut.idoo.net), to call for lifting the hair length restrictions.

``I have read the guidelines and figured out nothing has been changed. Although they said students will be allowed to partake in committee meetings, they will not be given rights to decide,’’ said Lee Jun-haing, webmaster of the youngsters’ group against the hair length regulations. ``We will go for a rally as it is scheduled.’’

Students claimed that regulations on hair length encroach upon individual rights. They said they feel disgraced and scorned when teachers check their hair length and sometimes forcibly cut or burn their hair.

The Kyonggi Provincial Office of Education already sent out guidelines to member schools early this month, ordering them not to forcibly cut students’ hair.

kenbae@koreatimes.co.kr