The Department of Education on Monday denied reports that schoolboys will be allowed to grow beards under the national guidelines on school uniforms.
”Nothing can be further from the truth,” the department said in a statement.
”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 will permit Muslim boys to wear beards to school, as many want to.
He said that the document allows for yarmulkes and headscarves and should surely also cater for beards.
Education and training deputy director general Dr Cassius Lubisi conceded that, being limited to clothing items, the guidelines will 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, [Minister of Education 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.
She said the topic of uniforms should be confined to what a child wears.
DA MP George Boinamo also argued that uniforms and religious identity should 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, following an investigation into the viability of uniforms and ways of reducing their cost. — Sapa