Cape Town - Allegations of racism at one of Cape Town’s top high schools have surfaced amid an outcry over claims of unfair discrimination at other schools in the country.
The pupils at Sans Souci Girls’ High School in Newlands say their counterparts at Pretoria High School for Girls have given them the courage to also stand up for their rights.
The Pretoria High School for Girls has been at the centre of a storm following allegations that black pupils had been forced to straighten their hair.
Pupils at other schools in the country have since also spoken up about discrimination at their schools.
A Grade 11 learner at San Souci says she was forced to cut and straighten her hair. “I was told my natural hairstyle was exotic and my afro was dirty,” she said. “I had to cut it and burn my scalp just to get it straight and fit the perfect image of a ‘proper Sans Souci girl’.”
The Xhosa girl says she was also punished for speaking her mother tongue. “I got demerits for speaking my own language outside the school premises and I got into so much trouble that even my parents were called to school,” she said.
The Western Cape Education Department said its district office was aware of protests at the school.
The department’s spokesman, Paddy Attwell, said pupils at Sans Souci were unhappy about the dress code that bars “exotic hairstyles”, among other issues.
“According to the media, some learners have claimed that teachers have made racist remarks.”
He said the department had started an investigation. The circuit manager visited the school on Wednesday morning.
“The school reported that they are in the process of rewriting their code of conduct and have been doing so for some time. The school is consulting all sectors and has nearly completed the consultation process.”
Also read: Black hair, sharp scissors and the totality of white power
At Sans Souci, the code of conduct states braid thickness may not exceed 5mm. “Exotic hairstyles” are banned, while “hair may not be combed out to create afros or be teased to create a beehive”. Weaves, extensions and dreadlocks, wigs or twisting are also not allowed.
On Wednesday, matric learners at Sans Souci said they were punished after their matric ball, which was held on August 3, for not removing their expensive weaves and fake nails.
On August 10, more than 20 learners were allegedly “kept in isolation”.
“The girls were barred from attending any classes the whole day,” a matriculant said. “This isolation was handed down because the girls had nail extensions and weaves, others had neat plaits and nail polish.
“(We) were given a week but some (couldn’t afford to have it removed). This was notified [to us]but the school continued the punishment.”
On Tuesday after an exam, pupils decided to protest against the hair policy in the school’s courtyard.
“All learners, black and white, are against it and we want it to change,” added the matriculant. The protest ended when teachers sent the matric pupils back to class.
Attwell said the school governing body had revisited the tone of the code, as well as policies on pupils' hair.
“The tone of the code will change significantly, according to the school.The code will encourage learners to be neat and to present themselves well, as young women who can make a difference.”
On Tuesday, Attwell told the Cape Argus the department received complaints from “time to time” from Western Cape pupils who felt their school’s code of conduct discriminated against them in terms of its stipulations on hair.
He said pupils could take up the matter up with the school governing body, preferably via their representative council of learners.
Attwell said the Department had trained governing bodies on their roles and responsibilities, including training on codes of conduct, which had to reflect the values of the constitution and the law.
Meanwhile, the Department of Basic Education has indicated a comprehensive review of the country’s education laws, which has already begun, would help to ensure children were not discriminated against at their schools.
The department’s spokesman, Elijah Mhlanga, said that through the review the department was also looking to strengthen governance in schools.
“We expect South Africans to give us suggestions on how to do it when we get to the public participation phase.
“We don’t have all the answers, but we are going to urge for active participation by parents in these matters.”
Advocacy group Equal Education also called on governing bodies to to stop making discriminatory rules of any kind and on education departments to ensure all districts, principals and governing bodies were educated on diversity, and human rights.
Cape Argus and Daily Voice