A Cape Town dad, who accused Wynberg Boys’ Junior School of
bullying and racial insensitivity after he was given a warning letter for an “unacceptable”
hairstyle, says the
matter has been resolved amicably.
There was an outcry on social media last week after the father, Ngqiqo Mahlutshana, posted a letter on Facebook, which stated his seven-year-old son’s fader breached the school’s code of conduct.
He was given until Monday to have his son’s hair cut or face “disciplinary action”.
Mahlutshana told the Weekend Argus he found the letter to be “bullying both to the child and parents” and also “very prescriptive”.
“The tone tells one what to do and, if not, what will happen,” he said. “This makes me feel like this letter is entrenching racial divides.”
He posted the letter and a photo of himself and his son on Facebook, drawing angry responses from mense like Thembi Tabata, who said: “Your kids will never be accepted as they are in Africa.”
Ngqiqi met school palie Cedric Poleman on Friday.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the school admitted the letter was offensive.
Poleman said: “I met with Mr Mahlutshana as soon as he could be available on Friday, and fully agreed with him that the letter signed off was a relic of a previous era. Wynberg Boys’ Junior School apologises without qualification, and commits to a review of all letters and notifications.”
Ngqiqo, a former student at the school, has accepted the apology, and it appears his son gets to keep his fader.
Ngqiqo wrote on Facebook: “We met with the school and everyone agreed that no one will interfere with the young man.”
Jessica Shelver, of the Western Cape Education Department, urged schools to ensure that their codes of conduct “represent the inclusive society in which we live and are in line with the values of our Constitution”.