School Bans Dreadlocks!
Posted by FroChic on 02/06/2010
We came across this very interesting article from Mail & Gurdian on how a learner at Navalsig High School in Bloemfontein was expelled from school because she had dreadlocks.
The dreadlocks were mentioned in the same line as “strange cuts or silly lines or patterns in hair”. What astounded me even more was how the principal asked the learner why it was so difficult for her to “remove [her] dreadlocks and use artificial hair like other learners“! You can read the full story HERE.
It’s really sad to hear that dreadlocks are still seen as a ‘fad’ hairstyle in schools, even if they are kept neat and away from the face. Why should black girls who want to wear their hair naturally — whether it be dreadlocks, cornrows or an Afro — have to be forced to wear “artificial” hair in order for their hair to be seen as more acceptable or neater?
What are your thoughts on this?
FroChic 
kechy said
we need people to stand up and protest against this. this is is insane. how can you tell a country that is predominantly black to not have patterns plaited on their hair. this is the first step into self hatred.
Dladla said
I almost cursed. But then of course, we cannot fight fire with fire. My opinion is that, some people still view natural hair as tomboy-ish and not so appealing. And, some people hate that…
But instead of accepting students as they are -in the case of schools- teachers enforce their views/perceptions or whatever on them.
Not ayoba because, honestly speaking, the way a student wears her hair has nothing to do with what they are suppose to grasp in class. Besides, times have changed and we have now been introduced to so many ways of keeping our natural hair/dreads clean.
Kukusa qha oku. Period.