I AM a matriculant at Pinetown Girls’ High school and I enrolled there since early high school.’
It pains me to see discrimination happening right under my nose. This may be a very cliché story to the readers but of great concern to me and fellow school mates. I recall the strike at Pretoria Girls’ late 2016 about racism and the inequality of the code of conduct towards ‘black students’.
We as PGHS students also expressed our unhappiness and dissatisfaction and the matter was brought up in the school management meeting and a member of the department was brought in to address the matter and we were promised that we would be notified of the conclusion taken with the school body and that the hair policy would be looked at.
I am sad to say that up until today we are still waiting.
Recently though, we have been shocked by decisions taken by the school to ban braiding of hair, and by so doing restricting us, ‘black students’ from maintaining our hair. This decision was made without the RCL body being established due to schools being recently opened.
Making matters worse, all students who had braided their hair for school were expected to remove their braids by the 16th of January, which is less than a month’s notice.
This inconveniences a lot of us because we spent hundreds of Rands to ensure our hair was neat and presentable. Some parents used their last few Rands to get their daughter’s hair done.
I don’t believe in racism and discrimination, but at the moment that is what we’re feeling. The department and those in power must intervene.
Devastated Student
Pinetown
Joseph Sibiya’, PGHS SGB chairperson responds:
The hair policy became an issue after the Pretoria Girls High made news headlines. As PGHS we had to review our own hair policy.
After consultation with education department officials (Mr Dlungwana) we began the process that ensures that our policy is within the confines of the South African Schools Act and the South African constitution and other related laws.
The draft policy was presented to the School Governing Body (SGB) that is constituted by learner representatives, academic and non academic staff and parents.
In November 2016, the draft policy was endorsed as school policy in an Annual General Meeting(AGM). I must say that parents agreed that the revised hair policy is non-discriminatory, fair and cost effective.
If there is further dissatisfaction about the policy, submissions can be put forward by following the proper communication channels of the school. The submissions shall, therefore, be taken to the SGB for consideration and be included in the 2017 AGM.
We therefore appeal to the school community, parents and our learners to assist us in ensuring that the academic programme of the school continues peacefully.
The door remains open for constructive debates and inputs.
I will gladly assist with further clarifications if necessary.
