TRANSGENDER STUDENTS ‘NO HAIRCUT, NO ENROLLMENT POLICY’

Transgender student of the Eulogio “Amang” Roriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) in Manila condemned the school’s alleged ‘no haircut, no enrollment policy’. 

The viral video was first posted by the Bahaghari group on social media, where two transgender students of EARIST were seen forced to get a haircut because of the school’s policy regarding hair length, that received a lot of reaction.

Students forced cutting their hair against the student handbook (Photo courtesy of Bahaghari/Philippine Star)

Based on the student’s handbook, long hair is not allowed for boys, so no haircut no enrollment. Some of the students expressed their opinion that there is severe discrimination in the EARIST school, and that those who identify their self as women are required to have a male haircut. The school is also bounded by Manila City, which have an anti-discrimination ordinance that the EARIST clearly violates.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Prospero de Vera III, said that the EARIST heads and student agreed in the meeting that some policies stated in the student handbook will not be implemented until the matter is resolved.

The provisions of the handbook will be held in abeyance first, meaning that everyone can enroll regardless of their hair.

Meanwhile, public or private schools must allow students who have not paid the balance of tuition and other fees to take the exam even without a permit. That was after President Marcos signed the bill banning the ‘no permit, no exam policy’ or Republic Act 11984. 

In a report by GMA news, it is stated in the said law that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will determine the disadvantaged students. The department will also issue a certificate that will prove that the affected student is suffering from calamity, emergency, and other reasons.

Any school that violates this may face administrative sanctions from the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and Technical and Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Source: GMA News

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