The Ministry of Education in Malawi has been ordered by a high court to permit dreadlocked youngsters to enroll in the nation’s public institutions.
The Ministry must publish a circular by June 30 announcing the lifting of the prohibitions against Rastafarian students attending public schools, the court further mandated on Monday.
The court made a decision regarding a petition submitted on behalf of two Rastafarians who were turned away from public schools in 2010 and 2016 because they had developed dreadlocks.
According to local media, the students filed a lawsuit after receiving an injunction from human rights organizations to allow Rastafari children to attend school without hindrance.
Justice Nzione Ntaba in her ruling on Monday 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 June 30.”
The Jamaican Abrahamic religion known as rastafarianism places a strong emphasis on maintaining one’s natural appearance, especially one’s hair.
However, due to educational laws requiring students to cut their hair in order to promote what they refer to as student conformity, Rastafarians in Malawi have long been marginalized.
A Kenyan court’s decision in a related case in June 2020 forbade schools from turning away Rastafari students.
