In Burkina Faso, the standardisation of hairstyles will apply to students at all school levels and will
come into effect from the third quarter of the current school year.
The Burkinabe government is now regulating learners’ hair.
Jacques Sosthène Dingara and Boubakar Savadogo, respectively Ministers of Basic Education and Secondary Education of Burkina, signed a joint decree on Monday imposing a uniform hairstyle on all students in the country.
This measure will come into effect from the start of the third quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.
According to the document, “a uniform hairstyle is established for all girl and boy learners” in all educational structures, whether public or private.
The decree specifies that this uniform hairstyle “is made up of a close-cropped haircut, simple and without any embellishment or fanciful decorations whatsoever.”
An exception is however granted to girls, who will be able to wear “braids and plaits of natural hair
without highlights”.
Failure to comply with this directive is punishable by sanctions, including dismissal of the learner, according to the new regulation.
In addition, any student whose hairstyle does not comply “may not access the playground of the educational structure”.
This regulation applies to all levels of education, from preschool to secondary education, including primary schools, non-formal education structures and initial vocational training centres.
School principals and their staff are responsible for “strict compliance with the defined hairstyles”, while the regional and provincial directors of the two ministries will ensure its application.
This measure is part of a trend observed in several African countries, where educational authorities impose standards of dress and appearance on students, in the name of discipline and uniformity.
AC/Sf/fss/as/APA