Phrae school seizes student’s jacket in 9°C weather
A school in Phrae province is under fire after a teacher seized a student’s winter jacket for violating the school’s dress code during cold weather.
A concerned relative brought the incident to public attention, sharing the incident on Facebook yesterday, December 1. The student, from Wiang Ta Subdistrict in Long district, borrowed and wore a grey jacket because her school-issued coat hadn’t dried after washing it the night before. Temperatures that morning dropped to around 13 degrees Celsius (°C).
However, A teacher reportedly said the jacket violated school rules and made her take it off in front of classmates.
The relative questioned the school’s decision, asking why the teacher couldn’t issue a warning or deduct points instead of confiscating the jacket.
KhaoSod reported that the student lives with her grandparents in a low-income household in Phrae. Her family had enrolled her in the province’s top school in hopes of securing her a better future. She washed her only school jacket the night before because it got stained with noodle soup, but it didn’t dry in time.
The poster also questioned whether the school’s punishment reflected discrimination based on the family’s financial status and said they were considering contacting the school directly.
Following public backlash, Phrae MP Worawat Ua-apinyakul from the Pheu Thai Party assigned his secretary, Pannee Saengsan, and her team to investigate. They confirmed the student had borrowed a grey coat to protect herself from the morning chill.
The school apologised to the student and promised to review the dress code policy to allow more flexibility during cold weather. However, the teacher defended confiscating the coat but said the school could allow exceptions if students gave advance notice or asked for permission.
Pannee said the student was initially scared of further punishment. She also emphasised that schools should be safe spaces for students and not institutions that make them feel afraid.
The MP’s office is now preparing to submit the case to the Ministry of Education for further review and to explore potential updates to national school uniform policies in line with real-world circumstances.
In recent years, Thai schools and educational authorities have moved to relax strict uniform regulations. Since January last year, Thailand’s Ministry of Education has scrapped the national hairstyle rule and allowed public schools to set their own policies. This move aimed to promote inclusivity and respect within school communities.
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