Principal changes tune on fines

NUMEROUS pupils yesterday confirmed they have been fined R10 for not speaking English at Holy Cross High School in Cape Town.

The girls say that if they don’t pay the fine, they’re sent to detention on the same day.

The fine has doubled this year from R5 last year.

On Sunday, school principal Michael Fouché told The Star’s sister paper, the Cape Times, that no mention is made of fining pupils for speaking languages other than English in the school’s code of conduct, admission and language policy.

Fouché changed his tune yesterday after the Cape Times visited the school, where more than 10 pupils confirmed they had been fined.

Fouché said school offi- cials were investigating the matter and a statement would be released today.

He had previously said the school encourages pupils to speak English to aid with their language skills in this subject, and isiXhosa and Afrikaans are offered as first additional language subjects.

A pupil, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said: “If the student leaders find out you are speaking isiXhosa to an isiXhosa-speaking person, even if it’s one word, a word of exclamation, you get fined R10. You have to pay that R10 or you stay in detention that same day.

“The teachers know this is happening. They also fine you,” she added.

Their names are written down, and before school ends, the girls are taken out of class and to detention for an hour, she explained.

“When I first came to the school, I had to sit in detention all the time, but I have had to adapt to speaking English,” she said.

The school’s reasoning for enforcing the policy is to improve the pupils’ English and not exclude those who cannot speak isiXhosa.

“If you complain, they tell you it’s the school rules and you can’t change them. We feel it is discriminatory, because we also want to speak our languages. But we’ve had to adapt, because they tell us if you want to go to school here, then you have to speak English all the time,” she said.

Another pupil said their parents were aware of this policy. “There is nothing they can do. Even when they try to ask, they tell you it’s school rules.”

DURBAN’S Sastri College has agreed to amend its hair policy following a demonstration at the school yesterday.

Deputy principal Santhosh Rajcoomar told The Star’s sister paper, The Mercury, that between 150 and 200 pupils gathered outside the school in the morning to express their unhappiness with the rules pertaining to hair.

The pupils comprised boys and girls.

“We had a policy, up until 2014, that allowed girls to wear extensions but then they began abusing this policy,” he said.

Rajcoomar said pupils would colour their hair and wear over-the-top styles.

“So, the school governing body revoked the policy in 2014,” he said.

During the demonstration, the pupils said they wanted the old policy reinstated.

“The school principal met members of the student leadership and there were a lot of questions and explanations thrown back and forth,” Rajcoomar said.

“Ultimately, the old policy was put back in place and there was a commitment from the pupils that they would not abuse it.”

Pupils’ protest brings new look at hair

The “Hair Code for African Learners Only (Girls)” for the school was signed yesterday:

● Straight hair: One pony at the base of the neck.

● Braids: Only braid from front to back, 5mm in thickness, no beads at the end.

● No Rasta extensions.

● No hair dyes.

● Own hair: Not buffed up, only black narrow alice band allowed.

● Only black hair bands to be used for ponytails and clip.

● Hair must not fall on face (only fringe).

● Extensions: maximum length is shoulder length.