Treated hair banned in schools

Following a decision to ban the practice of school girls treating their hair, several head teachers and parents expressed their views on the ban.The City of Kigali, together with city schools head teachers and the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Mathias Harebamungu, agreed to abolish the practice saying the move would make students concentrate more on studies.According to the head teachers that talked to this paper, the move came after it was noticed that several primary and secondary school girls were taking much of their time in treating their hair, a practice they said has been affecting their performance.The Head teacher of Lycee de Kigali, Martin Masabo, said school girls treating hair has been time consuming saying it was not time for high school girls to have treated hair.“I agree with the directive, there is a right time for students to have such treatments but not at this time when their concentration is needed in their studies. This decision was taken to ensure Rwandan students perform well,” Masabo said. The head teacher of Kagarama Secondary School, Sam Nkurunziza, called for more strict measures against some schools that are not abiding by the regulation.“My school has always been strict on that issue. I know some students will always keep complaining,” Nkurunziza said.However, there are mixed reactions from some of the parents, with some supporting the move while others are opposed to it.“I totally disagree with this decision. My children have been performing well, so, I don’t see the essence of this decision,” one of the parents whose children go to Ecole Internationale de Kigali said.Gorethe Ingabire, who has three children at Kigali Parents, said the decision should be applied to all schools in the country.“The decision is good but the problem is that some schools have not yet implemented it and this contributes to students wondering why others don’t abide by the same rule,” she said.Frida Kabatesi, a mother of two in primary school, said the decision had been long overdue saying treatment of hair somehow contributes to sugar-daddy issues.“Some girls with treated hair tend to look mature when in actual sense they are still young and this leads to so called sugar-daddies disturbing them,” Ingabire said, adding that some hair treatment does have some negative effects on children.When contacted, the Minister of Education, Vicent Biruta, said new regulations concerning discipline and health in schools will be out in September.However, he said the hair treatment decision may not affect the international schools.“There are schools that will not apply this directive like the international schools,” Biruta said.The decision to ban hair treatment in schools follows closure of school canteens countrywide.

National

Treated hair banned in schools