A Malawian High Court has ordered the Ministry of Education to allow pupils with dreadlocks to attend public schools in the country.
The court also ordered the Ministry to release a circular by June 30th announcing the lifting of limitations that prevented Rastafarian students from attending public schools.
The court ruled on a case brought on behalf of two Rastafarians who were denied entry to public schools for growing dreadlocks in 2010 and 2016.
According to media reports, the students won an injunction through human rights organizations and then filed a complaint to have Rastafari children permitted equal access to schools.
Justice Nzione Ntaba in her ruling said the Ministry of Education should issue a statement to allow all children of the Rastafarian community with dreadlocks to be allowed in class. The circular should be done by 30th June.”
Rastafarianism is an Abrahamic religion from Jamaica that stresses living what they regard as natural, including their hair.
However, Malawi’s Rastafarians have long been side-lined by education policies requiring students to cut their hair to promote what they describe as uniformity among students.
In June 2020, a similar case was ruled upon by a Kenyan court, which also barred schools from turning away Rastafari learners.
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