Hearing the stories my family members have shared has left me shaken for a while.
One recurring issue is the problem with
appearance and the constant stereotyping, especially in educational institutions. In Uzbekistan, wearing a uniform is mandatory in most schools and even universities. While I don't see uniforms as inherently bad, the enforcement is often excessive. School administrations—and sometimes even the Milliy Gvardiya (National Guard) stationed at schools—believe they can judge a
person’s character based solely on their appearance. Naturally, boys' appearances are rarely criticized and usually ignored. Instead, all the attention is focused on
girls. If a girl has long, braided hair and wears a long skirt, she’s immediately labeled as a good, well-behaved, and smart student. But dare she have short hair or wear black pants to stay warm because the school’s heating system doesn’t work properly—then she’s suddenly seen as a troublemaker.
This happened to my friend. Because her hair was dyed dark red, she was
rudely scolded by the leader of the Milliy Gvardiya, who accused her of being a bad influence. He even had the audacity to say to her mother:
“Our mission is to fight against students like THIS. Do you even check on your daughter before she leaves home?” For context, she was wearing an oversized gray sweater and oversized black pants.
Yes, perhaps dyed hair might go against school regulations. But does that justify speaking so harshly to a top-performing student? Should her hair color overshadow her academic excellence? Schools and officials seem to focus on all the wrong things.
There are far more pressing issues in schools that demand attention—like inadequate study conditions, failed water supply, broken heating systems, and the constant money gatherings. Worse, some students openly boast about corruption, claiming,
“You can do anything with money. I’ll get into university with money, finish it with money, and find a job thanks to my father’s money.”These are the real problems we need to address—not the hair color of a bright student.
What do you think about this situation?~🎀~
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@jastm1🌊