Four Centimeters of Tolerance / Yoani Sánchez

Yesterday I went to enroll my son in high school and instead of a welcome sign I found a blackboard with the following contents:

Regarding the uniform: Females may not wear more than one pair of earrings. Shirts and blouses will be worn tucked in. They will not be altered by clamps, nor cut to fit to the body, nor allowed to be higher than the waistband of the skirt or pants. Do not remove the pockets. The skirts should be 4 centimeters [1.5 inches] above the knee. Skirts worn on the hips are not allowed, nor may they be discolored or have ironing marks. Pants must extend to the height of the shoes. Pants worn on the hips are not allowed. Females may not wear makeup. Bracelets, necklaces, chains and rings are not allowed. Religious objects may not be visible. Shoes must be close-toed and socks white and long. MP3s, MP4s, and cellphones may not be brought to school. Males may not wear earrings, clips or piercings. Belts should be simple and without eccentric, large or stylish buckles and must be black or tan.

Regarding the hair: Haircuts, hairdos and shaves must be correct, eliminating any eccentricity or styles outside the definition of the uniform. Males may not have: long hair, dyed hair, nor any spikes in the hair, nor designs shaved into the hair. Females may not have any dangling jewelry in their hair. Items used to style the hair must be blue, white or black. These shall be of an appropriate size. Males must not have hair longer than 4 centimeters.

Now I wonder if Teo is enrolled in high school, or in a military unit.

September 4, 2010