Pretoria - Concepts such as “head boy” and “head girl” discriminate against pupils who do not identify as male or female, excluding them from participating in leadership structures in schools.
The Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa wants the concepts abolished to accommodate all pupils.
The foundation said the country had to move with the times and realise that those terms were outdated and did not promote diversity and inclusivity.
“As a result of these concepts, many pupils who prefer to be called boys even though they are biologically girls, and those who prefer to be called girls even though they are biologically boys, are denied the opportunity to participate in school leadership structures because they do not identify with either the male or female gender,” founder and education activist Hendrick Makaneta said.
“We need to build a truly inclusive education system that will protect the rights of all learners, particularly the LGBTQI+ community, for them not to be excluded in the affairs of learners.”
To accommodate learners not attached to any specific gender, and transgender learners, there also had to be gender-neutral toilets in schools, to be used by everyone irrespective of their gender, he said.
“To create space for learners, we need to replace head boy and head girl with an inclusive term such as president and/or deputy president.”
Gender Commission spokesperson Javu Baloyi, said: “Gender identity and sexual orientation are protected in Section 9 of the Constitution, and no one may be discriminated against based on the said grounds.”
The titles were too binary; abolishing them would be a step towards gender identity inclusiveness, he said. It would also showcase South Africa’s commitment to an inclusive and transformative approach to gender identity.
“The removal of these titles would benefit learners to feel empowered to embrace their identity and stand up against homophobic bullying in schools and society. It will also assist in tackling homophobia, encourage acceptance and foster a culture of respect for LBTQI+ rights.”
The Education Department said it could not comment yet.
Pretoria News