Teacher cuts pupil's hair, mum files police report

A MOTHER has lodged a police report after her 12-year-old son's teacher cut his hair an hour before his PSLE oral exam last Thursday.

The mother, Madam Serene Ong, is outraged that the teacher did this just before a crucial exam, that it was done without her knowledge - and that it ruined the boy's $60 haircut.

She claimed the teacher - Ms Belinda Cheng of Unity Primary - also threatened to deduct marks from the boy's exam if he refused to have his hair cut.

Yesterday, the school's principal, Mrs Jasmail Singh Gill, agreed with Madam Ong that the teacher had no business cutting the boy's hair.

But, she said, Primary 6 pupils had been warned before about sporting long hair, and Ms Cheng had the right intentions. "The teacher cut the boys' hair as she wanted them to look neat," said Mrs Gill.

Ms Cheng, who had also cut the hair of two other 12-year-old boys that day, did not want to comment. But Madam Ong said the teacher apologised to her and the three pupils yesterday.

Madam Ong, 39, a sales manager, said she received a call from her son Ryan Ang at about 10am on the day of the exam. His oral exam was at 11am.

He was crying and told her that Ms Cheng, who is one of his form teachers, had cut his fringe and sideburns. He and the two other boys had been pulled up during a spot check for long hair.

"The teacher had no right to cut his hair," said Madam Ong.

"She showed me no respect by not telling me that she was going to cut his hair beforehand," she said. "Worse, she threatened to deduct his oral marks if he didn't agree to let her cut his hair. It was an hour before his PSLE oral exam. What if it had affected his performance?"

She said she was so upset she made a police report and complained to the Ministry of Education that night.

She said Ryan did not dare to step out of the house for two days "because he thought he looked funny".

Ms Cheng, she added, had also wasted the $60 she had spent on Ryan's hair just five days before the incident. He has been going to a hairstylist at Reds Hairdressing for several years. Madam Ong spent another $60 getting his hair restyled on Saturday.

She said the ministry told her to "forgive the teacher" and the police said she could seek legal advice. The ministry also told her on Thursday that marks would not be deducted for pupils' appearance during the exam.

A ministry spokesman yesterday said schools may formulate their own rules based on their needs, within given guidelines for school discipline.

Several principals contacted said that students sporting unkempt hair is a common problem they face. But they felt Ms Cheng's approach of just chopping it off was outdated.

"Doing this is like going back hundreds of years," said Dr Foo Suan Fong, principal of Dunman High. His students are given a warning and a deadline to get their hair cut. If they do not do so, the school will contact their parents, whom it regards as "our education partners".

Mrs Lee Hui Feng, principal of Nanyang Primary, held the same view. "We have to work closely with parents and reinforce the notion that their children's personal image is very important."

jmlua@sph.com.sg

Welcome to Mexico's Middle Schools!
Oh wait...
Well except for the police part... This is a daily basis in every elementary and middle school.

Welcome to Mexico's Middle Schools!
Oh wait...
Well except for the police part... This is a daily basis in every elementary and middle school.

here too, but some brat just couldnt take his ugliness(as if he wasnt already ugly enough) after the cut and came crying to mommy.... poor little brat, grow up.

lol, i'm sorry, but I lost it at $60 haircut. Really?
and then spending another $60 getting it restyled? that's just ridiculous. Maybe he should have cared less about his looks and more about the rules of the school. He deserved what he got.

lol, i'm sorry, but I lost it at $60 haircut. Really?
and then spending another $60 getting it restyled? that's just ridiculous. Maybe he should have cared less about his looks and more about the rules of the school. He deserved what he got.

It's an irrelevant rule though, I mean come on, how the hell is that going to affect his learning? He can't see? Now if this was a private school I'd be a little more apathetic, but come on, it's hair, and styled so it's not like it's a health issue lol.

I remember how being put against the fence at recess felt like a communist camp haha.

It's an irrelevant rule though, I mean come on, how the hell is that going to affect his learning? He can't see? Now if this was a private school I'd be a little more apathetic, but come on, it's hair, and styled so it's not like it's a health issue lol.

I remember how being put against the fence at recess felt like a communist camp haha.

I really doubt this was a first offense though, and he sounds like a brat. It said that the kids already had warnings and if it's against school policies then they should have either accepted that and done what was asked or moved schools. So in this case, the mother is actually in the wrong too for actively encouraging the kid to break the rules.

That being said, the teacher is still definitely in the wrong, but she wouldn't be in that position anyway if the students had actually listened to the warnings they were given.

and lol, any punishment in school was always blown way out of proportion. I hated getting in trouble. I was kind of a brat sometimes though, usually I tried to follow the rules and be a good student, but when I got in trouble I always got in trouble BAD.

It's an irrelevant rule though, I mean come on, how the hell is that going to affect his learning? He can't see? Now if this was a private school I'd be a little more apathetic, but come on, it's hair, and styled so it's not like it's a health issue lol.

I remember how being put against the fence at recess felt like a communist camp haha.

Yeah I don't see the correlation with short hair and academics either. One of my molecular biology professors was a guy with ong hair and he was one of the best professors I ever had.

Yeah I don't see the correlation with short hair and academics either. One of my molecular biology professors was a guy with ong hair and he was one of the best professors I ever had.

Primary school isn't just about academics. They also try to teach such things as morals, social skills, and discipline.

In my opinion, it's fine for a school to have rules for such things as hair. However, it is completely wrong for the teacher to cut it herself. What would she do if a child came in wearing non-compliant clothing? Strip them?
If the child is a repeat offender he should simply be suspended. Mum would get his hair cut properly very quickly if she were told he'd not be allowed back on school grounds until she does.

Better than John Edwards 400$ Haircut.

Still a better VP than Ryan.

As a male with glorious past-elbow length long hair, I would have stabbed her in the throat with a pencil.

As a male with glorious past-elbow length long hair, I would have stabbed her in the throat with a pencil.

Good for you!

It's an irrelevant rule though, I mean come on, how the hell is that going to affect his learning? He can't see? Now if this was a private school I'd be a little more apathetic, but come on, it's hair, and styled so it's not like it's a health issue lol.

its not just a school rule, its important to get a neat haircut for ALL national exams in primary and secondary schools(in his case, the PSLE). its nothing new, and pointless arguing against.

and just to clear things up, this 'cutting of hair by teachers' has been around for ages. some schools have the discipline masters cut the hair of these delinquents while some hire barbers in which the student will be forced to have a haircut and pay themselves.

its not just a school rule. its important to get a neat haircut for ALL national exams in primary and secondary schools(in his case, the PSLE). its nothing new, and pointless arguing against.

and just to clear things up, this 'cutting of hair by teachers' has been around for ages. some schools have the discipline masters cut the hair of these delinquents while some hire barbers in which the student will be forced to have a haircut and pay themselves.

Whether it's part of the culture doesn't change that it's extremely unnecessary lol

Whether it's part of the culture doesn't change that it's extremely unnecessary lol

because getting a job in the future doesnt require you to look neat and smart right ?

because getting a job in the future doesnt require you to look neat and smart right ?

I have a job and I didn't have to go through this barbaric teaching style to know how to get one.

I have a job and I didn't have to go through this barbaric teaching style to know how to get one.

how is asking you to get a neat haircut barbaric ? O_O

how is asking you to get a neat haircut barbaric ? O_O

The teacher cutting his hair is barbaric.
IDK about your country, but around here teachers are not allowed to lay a finger on students.
As I said before, if the student refuses to cut his hair in accordance with school rules, he should be suspended until he does. That's what schools around here do.

Oh wow. That's my primary school. o.O

As I said before, if the student refuses to cut his hair in accordance with school rules, he should be suspended until he does. That's what schools around here do.

I can assure you that if Singaporean schools did that, everyone would refuse to cut their hair so they wouldn't have to go to school.

While I don't agree with that teacher's methods, calling her actions barbaric is a little over-the-top. It's just hair.

lol, i'm sorry, but I lost it at $60 haircut. Really?
and then spending another $60 getting it restyled? that's just ridiculous. Maybe he should have cared less about his looks and more about the rules of the school. He deserved what he got.

Totally agree with you. I'd save that $60 for upcoming games.

I can assure you that if Singaporean schools did that [suspend students with long hair], everyone would refuse to cut their hair so they wouldn't have to go to school.

That's where parents come in

Sorry, but you are all under-reacting. You cannot go around cutting someone's hair. If someone cut my hair or if I had a kid and this happened you'd better believe that teacher would be getting her head shaved by me.

For once, I agree with flonne. Cutting someone's hair against their will is assault.