Schoolboy’s long hair suspension probed

The Bryanston High School pupil has been suspended allegedly as a result of non-compliance with the school’s code of conduct as well as the school’s hair policy, Sandton Chronicle reported.

“It is imperative that a cohesive and structured environment be created for learners to be taught and for our educators to teach,” said John Skelton, principal at the school.

According to reports, the pupil was suspended for the third time after arriving at school with long hair.

He was allegedly suspended without a warning. However, the school maintains that the suspension was conveyed in person to the pupil and his mother in a meeting with the school principal, the chairperson of the governing body and representatives from the provincial education department, as well as from the office of the MEC for Education.

Aidan Hillebrand, school governing body chairperson, explained: “While we will, at this point, decline to comment on the individual merits of the case at hand since the matter is still ongoing, it is important to emphasise that the school’s Code of Conduct has, within the last week, been scrutinised by the Office of the MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, and been found to comply with all national and provincial guidelines.”

He said the Gauteng education department had been widely consulted in the weeks leading up to the most recent disciplinary action against the pupil concerned.

“From this consultative process it was confirmed that the procedural aspects of the code of conduct are consistent with the Gauteng department of education requirements and all steps taken against the pupil are in accordance with these procedures,” Hillebrand added.

“Part of our responsibility as a school is to teach by example, and we will continue to act fairly and lawfully,” Skelton said.

– Caxton News Service