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<h1 class="gmail-bold">Girls demand policy change </h1>
<span id="gmail-spnDate" class="gmail-block gmail-datestamp">2016-09-06 06:00</span>
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<p class="gmail-left">Gary Van Dyk @Gvdcapjazz</p>
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<img id="gmail-image" title="Learners at Sans Souci make their feelings felt during a protest outside the school on Friday. PHOTO: Edrea du Toit" src="http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/4414/7cc097007aba485c83d0f0128203a824.jpg" alt="Learners at Sans Souci make their feelings felt during a protest outside the school on Friday. PHOTO: Edrea du Toit">
<p class="gmail-text">Learners at Sans Souci make their feelings felt during a protest outside the school on Friday. PHOTO: Edrea du Toit </p>
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· <span class="gmail-block gmail-red"> · </span>
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<p>While the translation
of Sans Souci to English means “care free”, the famous school in
Newlands has been accused of some chronic uncaring.</p><p>Since last
week learners at the institution took to the streets to protest the
school’s code of conduct relating to hairstyles and language with calls
from former and present learners for a change in these policies.</p><p>On
Friday 2 September, learners from the school were joined by supporters
from other schools in the area, including Livingstone, Westerford,
Groote Schuur, Claremont and Gardens Commercial.</p><p>“It’s 2016 and our children have to do this for their rights,” says a parent that did not want to be named.</p><p>“The
school has been getting away with this too long because this matter of
language and hair has been a problem for some time. Every year we are
told that it will be dealt with an nothing happens. Well now I hope they
take it more seriously.”</p><p>A memo read out by the students states:
“Institutional violence and systemic racism enacted upon us by the
school is not new. We have hidden our experiences in the kinks of our
hair and swallowed the languages of our mothers into our throats. Mrs
Murray we ask you to step aside. We have been berated by you and
marginalised by you. You have enforced upon us the kind of structural
violence that requires healing of the soul. You have characterised us as
reminding you of the Ugandan gorillas you saw on safari and mocked our
Afros. You have been the gatekeeper of the school’s oppression.”</p><p>A
former learner also pointed out that there was some major flaws in the
“language” policy. “What kind of school tells you that you cannot speak
your home language to friends at school? And it even extends to when you
leave the school and in your uniform.”</p><p>The Western Cape Education Department has also stepped in to sort out the situation.</p><p>On Friday Western Cape Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer sent a delegation to the school. </p><p>“The
delegation spent the day speaking to learners, staff and former
learners at the school. The discussions forms an important part of the
investigation into the recent serious allegations of racism and
discrimination at the school. I am extremely concerned about some
shocking allegations that were brought to my attention. I am equally
concerned that they say that they sent a complaint to the Department in
2011 which was seemingly not acknowledged and yielded no change.”</p><p>Schäfer
adds that the WCED Safe Schools Directorate is also arranging
counselling to be available for any learners who have been traumatised
by the events this week and prior events. </p>“While I am fully aware
that I do not determine schools’ codes of conduct, I was of the view
that it has taken so long for the policy to change to allow for cultural
differences that as long as the girls look neat there is nothing wrong
with braids. I trust that this will form part of the discussion in
formulating the new policy. I want to see a new code of conduct by the
end of September adopted by the governing body after an inclusive
process has been followed.” <br><br><a href="http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Local/Peoples-Post/girls-demand-policy-change-girls-demand-policy-change-girls-demand-policy-change-20160905">http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Local/Peoples-Post/girls-demand-policy-change-girls-demand-policy-change-girls-demand-policy-change-20160905</a><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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