DRESS CODE VICTORY

JEPPE Girls’ High School has agreed to review its code of conduct following threats of potential court action by a group of pupils who were prevented from wearing their hijab (headscarves) with their uniforms.

At the end of last month, Independent Media reported that seven Muslim families were willing to take the Gauteng Department of Education and the school to court after pupils were ordered to

attend disciplinary hearings for contravening the school’s rules on

headscarves.

The school does not allow pupils to wear headscarves with the official

school blazer or school colours. Instead, pupils have to cover their uniform with a black cloak while

wearing the hijab.

Law firm Cliffe Dekker Hoffmeyr agreed to represent the pupils and their families pro bono and last month succeeded in having the disciplinary hearings indefinitely

postponed.

In legal letters to the school, the pupils argued the rules are unconstitutional. At the time, the head of the firm’s pro bono department, Jacquie Cassette, said the rules contributed to “othering” Muslim pupils and that her clients were tryng to find a way to allow

pupils to express their religious beliefs alongside their love of the

school.

The letters indicate the department had already instructed

the school to review its code of conduct and that the school must allow the pupils to wear the hijab pending this process. However, the pupils were still given letters of infraction, claiming they had repeatedly broken the dress code.

Yesterday, Cassette said she had received a written undertaking from the school governing body chairperson to fully withdraw the hearings against the pupils and that the school’s code would be reviewed.

“All educators, parents and learners will be invited to participate

in the consultative process and a task team will be set up. The SAHRC

(South African Human Rights Commission) will be involved in reviewing any proposed amended

code.”