LWENZHE – A Grade 12 learner at Lwenzhe Boarding School in Vuwani is faced with a bleak future, as he is alleging that teachers at his school are denying him the opportunity to write the mid-year examinations because of his hairstyle.

When Freddy Mudau from Sibasa was admitted at the boarding school in 2003, he had dreadlocks, but in April this year, teachers instructed him to remove his dreadlocks as he would not be allowed to write the mid-year examinations. Freddy refused to adhere to this command, as he felt that the dreadlocks suited him.

“My concern is that I am not the only student with dreadlocks at the school, but I am surprised when teachers don’t extend their instructions to other students with the same hairstyle,” he complained. He said that he bought a wig, which he normally wore to school, but that only lasted roughly two months before his teachers found out that he still had dreadlocks.

“In my opinion, it is not my bad conduct and attitude at the school which make the principal and teachers prevent me from writing these examinations, but it is because I have dreadlocks. I moved from the hostel last year,” he said. Asked why he moved from the hostel, Freddy said that “the food that we used to eat at the hostel was not good, though we were paying a lot of money. I moved out so that I can cook for myself.”

He alleges that on Monday, June 13, one of his teachers came and took his Afrikaans question paper while he was sitting in the examination room and said “We told you that you will never write examinations with your dreadlocks.” He said that his attempts to inform the circuit inspector about the matter were fruitless and the following day, Tuesday, another teacher came and took his Physical Science question paper and told him that he would get it from the principal.

The school principal, Mr Nndanduleni Libago, who pleaded with Mirror not to publish the story as it would tarnish the image of his school, confirmed on Tuesday that a meeting was held between the school management, the student and his mother. “We have resolved that matter and as I am speaking to you, he is writing examination with others, still with his dreadlocks,” he said.

Freddy said that his main concern is that he is not sure if his marks would be recorded and forwarded to the department. “On Tuesday and Wednesday, I wrote Geography and Biology respectively. I am still waiting for the school to inform me as to when am I going to write the other subjects that I missed during my differences with the school,” he said. Freddy said that he would work hard, despite what has happened, to ensure that, in the next academic year, he would be at the tertiary level.

The Vuwani Circuit Inspector, Mr MT Mashamba, refused to comment about the matter, saying that he told the student to contact him immediately if his problem was still continuing.