Pretoria schoolgirls force change in rules: In August 2016 girls at Pretoria Girls High School protested against racist hair rules for black girls at the school. The story caught fire, appearing in all major local newspapers, and soon an online petition had more than 10 000 signatures. The story was even taken up internationally. Politicians from all the major parties supported the girls, and the school was forced to review its rule. Other schools, like Parktown Girls in Johannesburg, soon followed suit with their rules.

Cape Town schoolgirls raise issue of hair and home languages: Hot on the heels of the Pretoria protest, in September 2016 girls at Sans Souci Girls High School started a protest about hair rules, and about not being allowed to speak their African home languages on the school grounds. Once again the issue caused a flurry of news and social media activity, and learners from other schools came to support the protesters. The Western Cape Education Department promised to look into the matter.

Durban school quick to take up racism and hair issues: The hair issue soon spread to Queensburgh Girls’ High, where black girls demanded the school rules change, as they favoured Indian girls. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education launched an investigation into claims of racism.

Thandokhulu High School students take up the protest: This all-black school in Mowbray, Cape Town, also felt the heat around hair rules in September 2016. The girls protested about the type of braids allowed, saying they are more expensive and did not last long. In response to the protests here and elsewhere, the Western Cape Education Department sent out a circular asking all schools to look at their rules and make sure they are in line with the Constitution.

Girls and boys to have same hair and jewellery rules? Meanwhile, a leading Cape Town government school, Westerford High, was reported in The Times of Monday, September 26 2016, to have sent out a questionnaire to pupils and parents regarding school uniform policy. One of the questions asks if the school community would like boys and girls to have the same rules for hair and jewellery – in other words boys would be allowed long hair and to wear earrings to school.

Hindu girl wins case regarding wearing a traditional nose stud: In 2006 the High Court heard an appeal by Mrs Navaneetham Pillay against Durban Girls High School and the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department. The school dress code only allowed girls to wear simple earrings and a watch. In Hindu culture when a girl is about 15 she traditionally begins to wear a nose stud. The school refused to allow Mrs Pillay’s daughter to wear this so, she went to court. The Judge said that “I find that unfair discrimination against Appellant, her daughter and their group has taken place,” and the school was forced to change its dress code. (A version of this article first appeared in FunDza resources around religious rights in February 2014.)

Boy wins right to wear isiphandla at school: The Citizen newspaper reported in 2007 about a young learner who was not allowed to wear his goatskin isiphandla. The school authorities (black teachers) classed it as ‘jewellery’. His family had told him, according to their isiXhosa belief and traditions, that he would fall ill if it was removed instead of coming off by itself. And the little boy did show a negative change in behaviour. However, in this case, some of his teachers supported him and the Gauteng Education Department ruled in favour of the boy’s right to his beliefs. (This article first appeared in FunDza resources around religious rights in February 2014.)

Girl turns down place in private school over headscarf rule: In a less cut-and-dried case that became news in September 2016, Herschel Girls School in Cape Town refused to change its school uniform policy and so a Muslim girl who liked to wear a hijab (headscarf) turned down her place awarded there. The issue is more complex because the school is a private, Christian, specifically Anglican school. Talk radio on the issue brought up many opinions and questions, such as: Why should the school accommodate a practice specific to another religion? Would a Christian girl be allowed to attend a Muslim school and not wear a headscarf? If the school accepts Muslims, shouldn’t it also accept headscarves? How can a girl wearing a simple headscarf in school colours be a problem?