Cape Town principal: Cut your afros or look for another school
The policing of high school girls’ natural once again shown its ugly head - this time at a school in Cape Town.
“You look like trees”, was allegedly uttered by teacher at the high school in Blue Downs in the Mother City.
Three years ago, black female pupils of Pretoria High School for Girls spoke out about alleged racism and abuse suffered at the hands of white teachers.
They took to the streets after teachers requested that they cut or comb their afros because they were told it looked like a bird’s nest.
A number of black and coloured learners from Malibu High School in Blue Downs reportedly faced a similar situation.
The girls were forced to plat their hair on Friday morning.
The school’s principal told them to look for a new school, if they refuse to co-operate.
Luxolo Mlonyeni says she refused.
“I would’ve understood if you [the teacher] come to me and said: ‘I don’t like your yellow or green that’s not natural’. So, I said this is my natural hair I can’t change it, I won’t put chemicals in my hair so that I can be boxed by the school.”
Beyonce Riddles believes the school acted in an unfair manner.
“We wasted school time for children trying to plat their hair. I don’t understand what hair has to do with schoolwork.”