We thought the kids at Bayside High got away with murder, what with their crop tops-approved dress code and long lunches at the Max. But even Mr. Belding wouldn't have signed off on hair straighteners for his students.

Surprisingly, the local council in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland has, providing three of its schools with hair straighteners in order to encourage teenage girls -- who had complained about mussing up their hair after exercising -- to participate in sports, reports the BBC.

And to think, our old gym teachers wouldn't budge even if we were doubled over with fake cramps.

A total of nine hair straighteners costing approximately £800 (about $1,275) has been supplied to three flagship schools within the council, according to the BBC, where they will be made available to female students in the changing facilities.

The council claims that the straighteners aren't just part of an effort to beef up physical education facilities -- they're also boosting the girls' self-esteem, the source adds.

"The council considers the views of pupils to be critical in ensuring that the school environment is as positive and inclusive as possible and pupils were widely consulted during the design phase," a spokeswoman for the council told the BBC.

"The falling rate of female participation in sport was a key issue discussed by pupils and improvements to changing and showering facilities, including the installation of hair straighteners, was considered important in reversing this trend... to encourage more girls to participate in PE and support positive self-image."

Yeah, we bet. In fact, we're sure those girls feel really confident about themselves, having just conned their schools into hooking them up with free beauty swag. High fives all around.

What do you think? Should the money have been spent on more practical learning equipment, or do you think that good hair is crucial to a first-class education? Leave a comment!

For more hairy issues in the classroom, read about Tajikistan's beard ban for teachers.