African National Congress urges eliminating racial discrimination in all schools

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday stressed the need to rid all schools of racial discrimination and enforced cultural assimilation.

This came as a debate was unfolding over a hair policy which requires black learners at the Pretoria High School for Girls to straighten their hair and prohibits them from conversing amongst each other in vernacular.

The policy has prompted students at the school to stage protests against what they call racism against black learners.

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.

Under the code, all hair has to be brushed, neatly tied back if long enough, and kept out of the face, and no patterned cornrows are allowed. Moreover, longer braids have to be tied back and no decorations or beads are allowed in the hair.

"The recent events at the Pretoria High School for Girls, which we believe are symptomatic of a greater problem, demonstrate the need for society to work together to rid all our schools of racial discrimination and enforced cultural assimilation," ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said in a statement.

The ANC encourages more students to come to the fore to expose racism wherever it presents itself, said Mantashe.

"ANC Branches working with School Governing Bodies must be vigilant against any racist practices in schools and take up campaigns to review the Codes of Conduct, if necessary," he said.

Panyaza Lesufi, member of executive council at the Department of Education in Gauteng Province, has set up a fact finding mission with a hope to restore the dignity of black girls.

The ANC commends the action by Lesufi for speedy action against the racist action at the Pretoria High School for Girls, Mantashe said. Endit