An allegation that students with dreadlock hairstyles face blatant discrimination in schools is getting the attention of the Department for Education.

Although stressing that existing rules must be adhered to, Director of Education Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw told a press conference on Thursday that the department had put forward a review of schools’ policies, including including those related to hairstyles.

She recognized the need to review certain policies to respond to the changing international environment.

“What I can say is that we met as a ministry. I also had a conversation with the Minister and we are looking to see how we can review this policy so that we can be even more inclusive,” Archer-Bradshaw said.

Late last month, the President of the African Heritage Foundation, Paul ‘Simba’ Rock, lamented that there had recently been an increase in the number of Rastafarian children being sent home from secondary schools with correspondence advising their parents/guardians that their hairstyles did not conform to school rules. He said this amounted to discrimination against children.

Rock said he wrote letters to principals regarding the issue and also sent correspondence to the director of education requesting a meeting with his organization to resolve the issue.

Archer-Bradshaw, who said the ministry does not discriminate against anyone, revealed there were concerns in the last school term about children returning to face-to-face lessons with extremely long hair.

She said principals had expressed concern that students were not following established school rules.

The education chief said that while students had been away from physical classrooms for some time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that did not mean school rules had been dropped .

She clarified that, in accordance with current school rules, Rastafarian students wearing dreadlocks should have their heads covered with a tam, and she urged parents to consult their children’s school rules and to follow the guidelines given.

“But we will seek to make the changes so as not to discriminate against anyone,” added the director of education. (AH)

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