School 'dompas' for kids who speak Xhosa

Sans Souci High School pupils have called for the immediate suspension of the principal and disciplinary action against seven teachers - including "the head of hair" - for "institutional racism".

The pupils claim teachers have referred to black pupils as "baboons" and "hyenas", naming the teachers who allegedly used the slurs.

Pupils have demanded the abolishment of what they call the "dompas" - a book recording transgressions, such as speaking Xhosa at school.

The allegations are contained in a scathing 13-page memorandum drawn up by pupils, parents and alumni of the Cape Town school. It was given to Western Cape education officials last night.

Last week children at the school spoke out about the language restrictions and the banning of certain hairstyles.

The memorandum listed other allegations against the teaching staff, including:

- Placing a pupil in detention for using the word "amandla";

- A teacher known as "the head of hair" constantly humiliating pupils who wear banned hairstyles;

- Black students being referred to as "hyenas" and "baboons"; and

- Denying pupils permission to leave a classroom to use a lavatory, "resulting in humiliation on several occasions".

The pupils called for the "immediate dismissal" of the principal without pay or benefits because she was "the gatekeeper of institutional racism at the school".

The school governing body has been accused of failing to "hold this school's principal and her executive management accountable for these gross violations".

Jessica Shelver, spokesman for education MEC Debbie Schaffer, said the department had seen the "dompas" books and was investigating.

Some pupils have destroyed their "dompas" books.

"It's completely absurd. These allegations are very serious. The principal won't report for school [duty] for the duration of the investigation," said Shelver.

Pupils said demerits were given for speaking Xhosa, Zulu and other African languages on the playground, in class and in corridors.

"We now call it a 'dompas'. For example, if you don't do your homework you get a demerit. For different things, like speaking your language. they give you a demerit," said a pupil, adding that 10 demerits triggered an "intervention" or detention.

Former Sans Souci pupil and 2014 head girl Nicole Jones said prefects were given very strict instructions to crack down on Xhosa speaking.

"We were told in weekly prefect meetings that girls were not to speak Xhosa and that we really had to crack down on this because more and more girls were starting to take the risk of speaking the language and it was definitely communicated to us by the principal," said Jones.

Shelver said a teacher was accused of telling a girl that her hair "smelled like a township".

"They raised some issues on Friday that they weren't allowed to braid their hair. Teachers used to inspect their hair to see if they were wearing a weave," said Shelver.

"Learners cannot be prejudiced for speaking their home language."