School excludes boy for wearing dreads
Rastafarian pupil, 12, told to cut his hair by Khayelitsha principal
IT IS a new school year for pupils in the province but for Jahroot Myataza, 12, it has become a nightmare after being excluded from school because of his dreadlocks. It was reported around the same time last year that another pupil from Khayelitsha, was excluded because of his dreads.
Jahroot’s mother, Mandisa Myataza, said they wore dreadlocks because they were Rastafarians. “My son has never had this kind of problem before, and he did his primary school here in Khayelitsha with these dreadlocks,” she said.
She said after Luhlaza High School turned him away after initially admitting him, she approached other schools in the area. However, due to the Grade 8 classes being full, she had to go back to Luhlaza.
Myataza said she wanted her son to go to school at Luhlaza because it was one of the best schools in Khayelitsha. “The principal wants my child to shave or comb his hair, but I will not compromise who we are just to please other people,” she said.
She said she had ticked “other” in the religion section of the application forms because their faith was not included.
Myataza said she had no other choice but to report the matter to the provincial education department.
“This is very frustrating because my son has not been to school for a week after reopening and I have had to skip work trying to sort out this situation.”
She said it was also affecting her son because he saw other children going to school, “and he might think he has done something wrong by having dreadlocks and think of shaving his hair”.
Myataza said after talking to the principal yesterday, she still did not know when Jahroot would start school because the principal had not told her whether or not he could continue attending.
The department’s spokesperson, Millicent Merton said, its district office would investigate. Merton said in terms of the SA Schools Act, school governing bodies could decide on dress codes, including hairstyles, as part of their code of conduct.
“The Department of Basic Education has published guidelines on drafting codes of conduct and dress codes that include the need to respect religious and cultural practice. Schools may ask parents to submit a letter from a religious teacher or organisation to substantiate a request to deviate from the dress code, according to the national guidelines,” she said. – siyabonga.kalipa@inl.co.za