YOUTH VOICES | Legacy of apartheid still lingers in school rules

Katlego Owethu Neer, 15

Pupil, Beacon Bay

As a black South African, I believe that colonial and apartheid-era systems still affect us today in ways many people ignore.

Even though apartheid officially ended, there are still many things within the schooling system that continue to affect black pupils’ ability to learn, focus and express themselves freely.

Some schools’ policies feel outdated and controlling rather than supportive.

Instead of helping pupils grow creatively and academically, certain rules make them feel restricted, silenced and judged.

One of the biggest examples is dress codes and appearance rules.

Schools often expect pupils to look the same in the name of discipline, unity and equality.

While structure in schools is important, rules should benefit pupils rather than restrict them.

Many school rules seem more focused on control rather than education itself.

I also believe that many school policies fail to consider black girls, different hair textures and African cultural expression.

Black pupils are often told that certain hairstyles are “untidy”, “unprofessional” or distracting, pupils are not allowed to wear hairpieces, dreadlocks, braids of a certain style, or cultural accessories such as traditional wrist bands or beads.

These rules may seem small to some people, but they can deeply affect how pupils see themselves.

A personal example of this happened to me on photo day at school.

I had a hairpiece extension in my hair, and I was told that I could not take my school photo unless I removed it.

I refused because I did not want to embarrass myself in front of everyone by taking it out publicly, so I chose not to take the photo at all.

Looking back, I keep asking myself: why should a hairstyle stop a pupil from being included in something as simple as a school photo?

Moments like these make pupils feel ashamed of parts of themselves that should never have been treated as problems in the first place.

Many of these rules are rooted in Eurocentric beauty standards.

Standards that were normalised during colonialism and apartheid.

Straight hair, smaller hairstyles and European ideas of “neatness” and professionalism have historically been treated as more acceptable than natural African hair and cultural expression.

Even today, black pupils are often expected to adjust their appearance to fit into systems that were not originally with them in mind.

This issue is not just personal opinion.

In 2016, black pupils at Pretoria High School for Girls protested against hair policies they believed discriminated against natural black hairstyles.

Pupils said they were told that afros were “untidy” and that certain braids and natural hairstyles were not acceptable.

The protests sparked national conversations about racism, hair discrimination and the lasting effects of colonial standards in South African schools.

Though schools often defend strict dress codes by saying they create unity and discipline, true unity should not require pupils to suppress their culture or identity to fit in.

Education should empower pupils, not make them feel that parts of their identity are inappropriate.

Another issue is that modern education often feels more focused on passing than learning.

Pupils spend long hours at school under pressure to achieve marks, complete homework and follow strict systems, often leaving little room for creativity, critical thinking or emotional wellbeing.

This conversation is not about rejecting discipline or structure completely.

It is about questioning whether current school systems truly support all pupils equally.

If SA wants to move forward, schools should create environments where pupils feel respected, included and free to express themselves without being made to feel “less than” because of their hair, culture or identity.