Publications
Partners
Last week South African social media exploded with support for the girls at Pretoria Girls High. The girls were protesting the fact that black girls were not allowed to wear their hair naturally.
School Rules
According to the school’s 36-page Code of Conduct, pupils can wear braids, cornrows or dreadlocks, but only if they are a maximum of 10mm in diameter.
All hair has to be brushed, neatly tied back if long enough, and kept out of the face. No patterned cornrows are allowed. Longer braids have to be tied back. No decorations or beads are allowed in the hair.
No dyeing, bleaching, highlighting, colouring, colour washing, colour rinsing, or shaving of hair in any way is allowed. Singles/braids must be the same length and be the natural colour of the girl’s hair. Longer braids must be tied back.
According to a News24 report "The girls however claimed school rules prohibited African hairstyles such as afros, bantu knots, dreadlocks, and braids. They alleged they were not allowed to speak their mother tongue and that a teacher called them monkeys when they were singing and chanting in class."
What parents had to say
We asked our Facebook and Twitter followers what the policy at their children's school were.
Does the hair policy at your child's school allow for braids, afro, weaves and cornrows? #stopracismpretoriagirlshigh
— Parent24 (@Parent24) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 @News24 I teach at a Catholic school in Pta. All accepted, Afros may just not be huge.
— Coleen Cahill (@colcahil) August 29, 2016
.@Parent24 @News24 Well, current school results certainly don't seem to indicate that these archaic hair rules have benefitted the students.
— ??uz?u?sp????i?@ (@richardstutzner) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 my daughters school in rustenburg do not allow braids. My son's school in johannesburg does not allow him without a fresh cut
— Merlecia Moketjane (@MerleciaM) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 the school I went to didn't allow that but they allowed the white girls to rock their silky long hair.Always had cornrows ??
— Joy Smangele Hlongwa (@HlongwaJoy) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 @News24 #stopracismpretoriagirlshigh Not allowed except for corn rows.
— Tamryn Fredericks (@Tamryn_90287) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 @News24 natural hair is allowed, except dreadlocks. Weaves, fades not allowed.
— Luzumane (@xolimad) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 @News24 no. They must shave their heads bald n they are gals. They go 2 Maphala Gulube school @ Embalenhle Township
— Thembha Mlotshwa (@tlmlotshwa) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 @News24 my child's skul daznt allow it n my daughter has natural hair.
— Smah (@Smah20010130) August 29, 2016
@Parent24 @News24 Lentegeur High School in Mitchells Plain (CT, WC), sent about 100 learners home last week because of these hairstyles!
— Timothy B. Adams (@TimoBAdams) August 29, 2016
What does your child's school policy say about hair?Send us your thoughts on this issue to chatback@parent24.com
