The Ministry of Education has refuted reports there is an order for schools to start registering children with dreadlocks and to allow female students to wear hijabs in Malawian schools.
News has been viral that the Ministry gave a nod to the calls to allow the wearing of hijab by Muslim students and dreadlocks by a larger percentage of students from the Rastafarin community.
A circulating statement alleged that government has informed all public schools in Malawi not to discriminate against children in dreadlocks or hijabs, but to allow them in schools. According to the statement, the Ministry of Education has been dealing with several cases of discrimination of children from particular sects of the Malawian society.
“All educational institutions are therefore, reminded that the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi Section 20 prohibits discrimination of any form, section 25, provides for the right to education for all persons and section 33 provides for the right to freedom of conscience, religion and thought,” It reads in part.
“Further to this, the Education Act (2013) section 4 indicates that “it shall be the duty of the Minister of Education to promote education for all people in Malawi irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability or any other discriminatory characteristics.”
According to the statement, it is therefore the entitlement of all citizens of Malawi not to be discriminated against and that all persons are entitled to education and religious conscious and belief.
But the Ministry has since refused issuing the statement.
Originally published on www.malawi24.com
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