A high court in Malawi has ordered education authorities to admit learners with dreadlocks in public schools across the country.
The court, sitting in the eastern city of Zomba, was ruling on a petition brought by two Rastafarian children who were refused admission in public schools in 2016 and 2010.
The children have been attending school with a court injunction, but talks between the Rastafarian community and the country’s attorney general to settle the matter had failed resulting in a prolonged legal suit, whose determination was made on Monday.
Judge Zione Ntaba ruled that denying children with dreadlocks the right to attend school was a violation of their right to education.
The Ministry of Education has been ordered to issue a statement allowing all Rastafarian children with dreadlocks to attend school by June 30th.
“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 30th June,” Justice Ntaba ordered.
The case was filed by three human rights organizations on behalf of the Rastafarian community in Malawi.
