In response to a longstanding practice of schools enforcing strict grooming standards, Nepal’s Ministry of Education and Sports recently enacted a regulatory amendment prohibiting institutions from forcibly cutting students’ hair without their consent. The amendment, issued on July 3 as the tenth amendment to the education regulations, also extends protections against discrimination or harassment based on personal appearance, including hairstyles, body image, and makeup, and explicitly bans physical and mental harassment under the guise of school discipline.
The change follows a petition initiated by Sambriddha Karki, an 18-year-old student from Kathmandu, who faced repeated disciplinary actions for having longer hair during his grade 11 year. After gathering over 250 signatures on a civic platform called SpeakUp Nepal, the complaint gained wider public support, propelling it through relevant government bodies over 19 months, including the Kathmandu Education Office and the Centre for Education and Human Resource Development, before reaching the Ministry of Education and Sports.
“The moment the petition crossed the public support threshold, it became clear this was a broader issue,” said Kritika Ghimire, project manager at SpeakUp Nepal. The organization advocates for the policy change as a step toward recognizing students’ autonomy over their appearance, emphasizing that success depends not only on legal reform but also on effective implementation and cultural shifts within schools.
Despite the new regulation, enforcement remains uneven. Karki noted that many schools in Kathmandu continue the practice unofficially, compelling students to conform to appearance standards. Similarly, Ariana, a student at Budhanilkantha School who spoke under a pseudonym, described ongoing informal expectations that restrict girls’ appearance, such as requiring hair to be tied back and discouraging makeup use, despite the absence of formal rules.
Not all stakeholders welcome the amendment. Navraj Bhatta, president of the Kathmandu district chapter of the Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON), criticized the government’s intervention in what he considers internal school and parental matters. He argued that the change has emboldened students to defy school policies, potentially causing behavioral issues. Bhatta noted instances of students refusing to cut hair, citing the new rules on social media.
School administrators expressed mixed views on the changes. Kalpana Oli Sitaula, in charge of Pathibhara Academy in Bhaktapur, acknowledged the necessity of adapting disciplinary methods but highlighted the transitional challenges for institutions accustomed to strict appearance regulations. She indicated that schools are increasingly relying on individual counseling rather than blanket rules, and stressed the importance of balancing respect for student rights with maintaining discipline.
The Ministry of Education and Sports maintains that the regulation is binding and permanent despite being an administrative amendment rather than parliamentary legislation. Shiva Kumar Sapkota, the ministry’s spokesperson, emphasized that violations are subject to legal consequences, including court cases or administrative actions, and that monitoring responsibilities largely fall to local governments. He noted that the regulation took effect immediately upon publication in the Nepal Gazette, with no grace period for schools to adapt.
Critics argue that the amendment’s legal standing is weaker due to its status as a regulation rather than an Act of Parliament. Raju Ghimire, a child rights activist and deputy director at Voice of Children, also expressed concern regarding the policymaking process, calling it insufficiently consultative and underscoring the need for greater awareness to ensure effective enforcement.
The reform marks a notable shift in Nepal’s approach to student rights and school discipline, but its practical impact will depend on how schools, officials, parents, and students navigate evolving norms around personal appearance and authority in educational settings.