Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Grade 11 Greytown High School pupil who grew a beard for religious purposes has been suspended.
His family are now saying he should not be punished for growing his beard, adding it was his constitutional right to do so.
Speaking to News24, the boy’s sister said: “He chose to grow his beard, and the lockdown was the perfect start for him. A beard is a part of his identity as a Muslim male, which he wished to embrace, and of course, we as a family support him.
She added:
The pupil and his sister are not being named to protect his identity as he is still a minor.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department was unaware a pupil had been suspended for growing his beard, but added the school’s code of conduct should be adhered to.
“We are not aware, but there will be a code of conduct for the school that will dictate as to how you should prepare yourself to go to school and that there should be adherence to such.
“It’s what they (the family) agreed to when they got admitted to the school. The code of conduct will indicate how a learner should look when they go to school. It is part of the uniform.
“Obviously, the school can’t be crazy to just wake up and suspend a Grade 11 learner. What about other children? Should all of them come with their beard?
“Now, they (the family) are creating animosity for this school, attitude towards the teachers and teachers will be having a negative attitude towards the child, and he still has another year to go in Grade 12; do you necessarily need to subject your child to those things?”
The sister said last year, when her brother returned to full-time classes after the Covid-19 lockdown period, he continued to wear a mask to avoid being victimised by school staff and pupils.
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“We had numerous back-and-forth communications with the school about how the beard is for religious purposes. It is not a valid reason for my brother’s education to be compromised to appease the school’s stubbornness in refusing to adjust their code of conduct.
“Last week, he missed out on receiving a sports award because again he was in a disciplinary meeting being told to shave his beard.
“He’s been sent to the principal’s office constantly because of the beard and has been charged falsely with ‘inciting other learners’ and ‘threatening the school governing body’ merely for keeping a beard,” she added.
On Friday, the family had a meeting with the school, informing them if he did not shave his beard within seven days, he would be expelled.
The sister also alleged school officials told them he should have been expelled already because he had blatantly defied school rules.
She added:
“We understand that the school has a code of conduct in place, and we are not saying that they must scrap it, but it does need to be relooked at.
“Part of the reason Greytown High is using my brother as an example is because they fear that should they adjust the rules for him, then other religions would request for their religions preferences to be accommodated too.”
According to her, other Muslim pupils have been forced to shave their beards.
“They did not want to go through what we are going through now with the school, and as hard as it was for them to shave their beard, they did it to avoid victimisation. My brother does not want to shave, even though he was pressurised numerous times to do it.
“He is a very decent, intelligent and respectful human being and does really well at school in academics and sports, but this hurdle he is facing is unnecessary, especially since the year is coming to an end.”
The suspension, she said, had left him sad and worried about his education.
“They do class tests regularly, and he’s got assignments and exams coming up soon. Missing school is not ideal for him right now.”
She added they might have to move him to another school if Greytown did not relent.
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“To have my brother be moved to another school merely for following his religion while the academic year is coming to an end is really unjust, but we are helpless.”
She said her parents have since written to the Umvoti CMC in Greytown and the director of the Umzinyathi District asking them to intervene and explain to the school its code of conduct contradicted the Constitution.
She said:
According to her, despite being informed the matter had been handed over to and awaiting a response from the Department of Basic Education, the school had decided to use expulsion as a “scare tactic to pressurise the boy” to shave his beard and had contradicted the Constitution.
“To have my brother face such psychological distress, merely for following his religion while the academic year is coming to an end is really unjust, but we are helpless yet determined to stand firm with our beliefs,” she added.
– Additional reporting by Jeanette Chabalala
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