Ouagadougou: Students at the Yennenga vocational high school in Ouagadougou were turned away from the school on Tuesday for failing to comply with the new rules on hairdressing in schools, an AIB employee noted on site.
According to Burkina Information Agency, upon the resumption of third-term classes, the teaching staff of the Yennenga vocational high school strictly applied the joint decree of March 6, 2025, relating to the hairstyle of learners in schools. “The uniform hairstyle for learners consists of a close-cropped, simple haircut without any embellishment or frills. However, braids and plaits of natural hair and similar items are permitted for girls,” the decree stipulates. However, this Tuesday morning, several students, particularly girls, did not comply with this measure and showed up with prohibited hairstyles. They were then turned away.
According to the school’s principal, Tamalgo Julie Zoungrana, this decree was read and explained to the students before the holidays. “This morning, many students complied, but those who refused to follow the instructions were banned from the schoolyard,” she said. Ms. Zoungrana insisted on compliance with regulations, reminding students that their hairstyles do not comply will not be allowed to enter the school. “And when a student is absent, measures are also in place to manage these absences,” she added, referring to the deduction of points for unjustified absences.
Some students had to modify their hairstyles on site to comply with the new requirements. This was the case for Reine, who replaced her twists with simple braids in order to enter the school. Bernadette Nana, another learner, welcomes the initiative but remains perplexed by certain prohibitions. “The initiative is good, but I don’t understand why they refused our twists, when they are made only with our natural hair,” she complains.
As a reminder, the Ministry of Basic Education and the Promotion of National Languages urged the educational community to strictly comply with the provisions of the decree, thus reaffirming the authorities’ commitment to regulating the appearance of learners in schools.