Education ministry refuses to scrap scout uniforms despite public poll
Uniforms for boy and girl scouts will not be scrapped despite a public poll showing support for their abolition, the Education Ministry said on Thursday.
The scout uniforms will instead be adjusted for weather conditions and comfort while being reduced in price, the ministry said in a post on its @MOE360degree Facebook page.
It also vowed to make scouts classes “fully voluntary”, without providing details.
On Saturday, the ministry announced result of its public opinion poll on scout uniforms for students.
An overwhelming majority of respondents (85.22%) said they wanted the uniforms to be replaced by casual clothes, gym clothes or normal student uniforms. Only 10.06% said they had no problem with the current uniforms. The remaining 4.72% said wearing scout uniforms should only be mandatory on important occasions, with students allowed to wear casual clothes during the weekly scout class.
The number of respondents was not revealed.
Thursday’s announcement was met with criticism on social media, with users questioning the point of holding a public poll if its result was going to be ignored. Others expressed doubt that the ministry would allow students to decide for themselves whether they wanted to attend scout classes.
The Thai boy-scout uniform consists khaki shirts, shorts and socks, with brown belt and shoes. The girl-scout uniform features green or blue shirts and skirts. Both uniforms include shoulder markings, hats/berets, and scarf, and can vary from school to school.
The scout uniforms have long been criticised for adding unnecessary financial burden on parents, who have to buy several items of clothing for their kids to attend the weekly classes.
Students have also shown little enthusiasm for the uniforms, with many complaining that hats and scarves are not suited to Thailand’s tropical climate.
