Child returns to school

Monday, January 28 will be the first day of the school term for a six-year-old after she was barred for three weeks because of her uncovered dreadlocks.

After weeks of silence from the Ministry of Education, and the St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School, reports are that the grade one pupil will be allowed to return after the acceptance of a medical certificate about her severe eczema.

This decision surfaced yesterday evening, but no changes seem to have been made to the school rules.

A close friend of the student’s family, who has been commenting publicly on the issue since the six-year-old was first barred, stated, “the one thing they did not say is that the discriminatory policy will be removed, but instead are trying to make it seem that the child would be exempted because of her skin condition. This policy needs to go and any parent with a child who has dreadlocks should challenge the policy because this is a fight the school cannot win.”

Further the family friend, a teacher, commented that persons are concerned that the child will encounter spite but, “I am not concerned about spite, I am concerned about indifference, her class teacher especially should by now know that she must pay extra attention to this child in terms of her school work and welcoming her back to school. The school was the one who issued the ultimatum to the parent and who refused the initial offers of a medical report.”

In a past interview with the mother of the child, SEARCHLIGHT was informed that her daughter was denied entry to the school on January 7 because of her uncovered dreadlocks. This was because, she said, the school has a rule which states that Rastafarians must cover their dreadlocks.

The mother noted that her family, and her daughter are not Rastafarians(who mandate the covering of hair for religious purposes), and that she told the headteacher that she had styled her daughter’s hair like this because of her severe eczema. Further she told them that covering the hair makes her daughter’s head hot, and causes the eczema to flare up.
Subsequently, the school reportedly told the mother that she must either cut of cover her child’s hair. However, two Catholic Priests indicated that they may consider the child’s attendance after a doctor’s letter was submitted.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Myccle Burke indicated last Thursday that the Ministry of Education was seeking a legal opinion on the matter. However, there was no pronouncement in the week following this.