South African students protest school hair rules

The text of the petition to the provincial Minister of Education Panyaza Lesufi claims that “disciplinary action be taken against teachers who implement racist policies”.

Pupils complained their hair was discriminated against as well the use of their mother tongue. He is now in a meeting with parents, management as well as the school principal Karen Du Toit.

Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga arrived towards the end of the discussions.

We wanted to show that we had enough of the bigotry and racism that we face at school.

“This school belongs to all of us”.

Former learners, parents and political parties have come out in support of the #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh movement today.

Politicians weighed in on the row, with the Economic Freedom Fighters party accusing the school of seeking “to directly suppress blackness in its aesthetics and culture”.

“This matter should not be politicised as minors are involved”, he said.

“We are exhausted, we are exhausted”, hundreds of black students chanted. “Just remain cool”, Lesufi said.

“I expected the school to send out an SMS but instead we were informed by our children”.

“It was odd. We’ve never had security at assembly before”, she told Al Jazeera.

“The MEC will make a conclusion when he has met with the parents and the staff in the school”, Modibe says.

They added that school rules forbade African hairstyles such as afros‚ Bantu knots‚ dreadlocks and braids.

Bbasic education MEC Panyaza Lesufi (left) with Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga and basic education national spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga. “They say stop making amusing noises or you will have to sit in my office”, she said.

At the heart of these protests are the high school’s black students who feel like their identity, which is wrapped up in the curly strands of their hair, is deemed as inferior.

“It boils down to learners feeling that they are being victimised because of their race, like their hairstyles are not being accommodated by the school, and that educators are picking on them and making racist comments”.

“Right now, learners at Pretoria High school are demanding that racist practices at the school are brought to an end”.