Grade 6 pupil barred from exams due to ‘unevenly cut’ afro

A mother of a grade 6 pupil has reportedly said that her son was prevented from writing his exams due to his hair – an afro – being cut unevenly.

Timeslive reports the mother claimed that her son was prohibited from writing four of his exams at Glenvista Primary School, Johannesburg, when on Friday the pupil was sent home for being in contravention of the school’s code of conduct.

The mother, named Farida Moola, was quoted as saying that her son informed him that he had not written his exams on Friday due to his hair being unevenly cut even though, the mother added, the child “has a miniature afro”.

The mother also reportedly claimed that the school’s head of department (HoD), who sent her son home for his unevenly cut afro, had last year stuck gum in the pupil’s hair because they disapproved of the hairstyle.

She had apparently taken up the matter with the HoD on WhatsApp who informed her that pupils had been cautioned by the school that they would be barred from writing exams if their hair was not cut.

The mother said when she questioned the HoD if her son would be allowed to write his exams, the HoD did not respond.

Moola reportedly took the matter up with the school’s principal on Monday and that her son was once again barred from writing exams scheduled on the day.

The mother was quoted as saying that the principal informed her that pupils had been warned about hairstyles and that his son would not be allowed to write exams on Monday.

“I asked him why they had allowed him to write other exams if there was an issue with his hair,” the mother was quoted as saying.

The spokesperson of the Gauteng department of education, Steve Mabona, confirmed that the mother had reported the matter to it and that it was being investigated.

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