School rules must be fair

IT IS almost unimaginable that, after the experience of Pretoria High School for Girls almost a year ago over its hair policy, another Gauteng school would find itself in the firing line. This week, Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was forced to step in at Windsor House Academy in Kempton Park after 11 girls were allegedly kicked out for contravening the school’s hair policy.

Girls complained that the code of conduct was often being changed to the detriment of black pupils. The principal, on the other hand, played the discipline card.

Lesufi displayed the wisdom of Solomon. He rescinded the expulsions and ordered that the code of conduct be reviewed by pupils, parents and teachers and, if necessary, amended to come up with something that everyone could respect and abide by.

That’s what needs to happen, but why wasn’t the process started by all schools after the Pretoria incident?

We live in a diverse society; it makes us richer, better and stronger, but our quest for just that will never be more than a pipe dream when people feel excluded.

In an institution such as a school with young adults coming to terms with their identities – and rebelling as most teenagers across the world do – a code of conduct that discriminates on the basis of their racial differences is asking for trouble.

Schools, particularly those that were exclusively white, have an added responsibility to audit their codes, practices and policies to ensure they are inclusive and fair because our constitution demands it.

No reasonable person will deny that a school or any organisation has the right to set rules to maintain standards and enforce discipline for the common good – but they must be fair and reasonable to everyone.