Unkind cut for initiates

26 August 2015 - 02:45 By Poppy Louw

A primary school in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, has come under fire for chasing away 20 pupils who underwent cultural initiation. Their crime? Leaving school before the end of term in May to attend winter initiation school where they are circumcised.The boys, aged 13 to 15 and in grades 4 to 6, have been turned away from the primary school repeatedly since it reopened in July.The executive director of the Community Development Foundation, Nkululeko Nxesi, said leaders and members of the community, the school governing body, its management and parents had a longstanding agreement that children who participated in the practice during the winter season would be allowed to return to school only the following year.The foundation, which was not part of the initial agreement, has called on the Department of Basic Education and the House of Traditional Leaders to intervene.It has also called for the school calendar to be amended to accommodate the winter and summer initiation seasons."Whatever the agreement, it should not be that children's right to education is violated. The decision is not in line with the constitution and is illegal," Nxesi said.The Department of Basic Education last year invited the public, including traditional leaders, to comment on an extension of winter holidays to accommodate pupils who go to initiation schools. It was prompted by high absenteeism during this time.Spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department would "make the time to discuss with anybody that wishes to revisit this matter".The school principal, who met Codefsa yesterday, told Nxesi he was "under pressure" because many of the pupils who came back from initiation school did not perform well upon their return and he was always "left to explain alone to the department".Eastern Cape education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the school was in no position to decide on its own to keep the children out of school, and that the department would investigate the matter."It is against the law to discriminate against children based on their customs. Teachers aren't bound to issues of culture - we have policies that prevent that and this decision is not in line with those policies," Mtima said...

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