School hair rules tighten: Country prohibits certain hairstyles for students

El Salvador has recently implemented strict new dress code and grooming standards in its schools, which include a ban on certain hairstyles, such as the mohawk and the ‘Edgar cut’. This is part of a broader campaign by President Nayib Bukele’s government to instill discipline and reduce the influence of gangs.

The government, led by the new education minister who is a military captain, argues that these measures are necessary to restore order in a school system that was previously a recruiting ground for powerful gangs. The regulations require students to have “appropriate” haircuts and to wear clean, neat uniforms.

The government’s position is that these measures are a crucial step in transforming the country’s educational system and that they are part of a wider crackdown on crime and gang activity. While some parents have expressed support, believing the rules are good for “straightening them out from a young age,” the move has also drawn criticism from human rights advocates and teachers’ unions who worry about potential overreach and the militarization of education.

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