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No go-ahead for beards - DoE
11/04/2005 23:36 - (SA)
Pretoria - The department of education denied on Monday reports that schoolboys would be allowed to grow beards under the national guidelines on school uniforms.
"Nothing can be further from the truth," said the department.
"There is no clause in the guidelines that refers to learners' physical appearances in general, and beards in particular," it went on.
It blamed the "misconception" on "second-hand reporting" of the proceedings of the portfolio committee on education on April 5.
It was reported at the time that the issue of beards was raised by African National Congress MP Ismail Vadi, who asked if the proposed national guidelines on school uniforms would permit Muslim boys to wear beards to school, as many wanted to.
He said that the document allowed for yarmulkes and head-scarves and surely also should cater for beards.
Education and training deputy director-general, Dr Cassius Lubisi, conceded that in limiting themselves to clothing items, the guidelines would not provide protection for scholars wanting to wear beards on the basis of religion, the department said on Monday.
"He indicated that if this emerged as a wide concern during the period of public comment, (Education Minister Naledi Pandor) would apply her mind to it and make a determination at the appropriate time," it continued.
In presenting the guidelines to the portfolio committee on April 5, Lubisi noted that: "A uniform may not impede or infringe upon any constitutional right."
According to reports on the April 5 debate, Democratic Alliance MP Helen Zille called for a separate debate on religious expression, finding it too complex to be dealt with under the uniform discussion.
Separate issues
She said the topic of uniforms should be confined to what a
child wore.
DA MP George Boinamo also argued that uniforms and religious identity be kept separate.
"We cannot allow religious identity to become part of uniforms otherwise Rastafarians (may as well) come to school wearing long hair and smoking dagga.
School uniform is one thing, religious expression is another," he said.
The department released the guidelines for public comment on March 22, after an investigation into the viability of uniforms and ways of reducing their cost.
- SAPA
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