adminMpumelelo Nyoni Chronicle Reporter
MORE than 20 Form Four pupils at Pumula High School in Bulawayo failed to write their Ordinary Level Mathematics Paper 1 examination on Thursday morning after the school’s headmistress, Linda Ncube, allegedly kicked them out for having long hair.
Several pupils as well as parents told Chronicle yesterday that Ncube, armed with a pair of scissors forcibly cut some of the pupils’ hair.
Those who refused were sent away from the school premises 10 minutes before the examination, to have their hair cut.
The examination was scheduled to start at 8AM.
When a Chronicle news crew went to the school yesterday at around 9AM, several Form Four pupils confirmed the incident.
“It was during assembly time when Ncube ordered pupils to have their hair cut. She had a pair of scissors and even cut some of the pupils’ hair. However, some refused to have their hair cut and she sent them away,” said one of the pupils.
Another pupil added that most of the pupils went home but a group of about 18 pupils went to report the matter at Pumula Police Station.
Sensing that she was losing the plot, Ncube allegedly sent the school bus to look for the pupils.
“Police details came to the school and ordered her to allow the pupils to write their exams. She then ordered the driver to collect other pupils who had run away from school,” said the pupil.
A parent whose child was chased away, Reverend Murimi, told Chronicle that his daughter only managed to write her examination with only 45 minutes remaining from the stipulated one hour thirty minutes for the exercise after she was picked up by the bus driver on her way back home.
“I don’t understand why she had to wait until examination time to force the pupils to cut their hair. My daughter only wrote 45 minutes of a one and a half hour paper. I understand many other children wrote the exam with only 10 minutes remaining after reporting the issue to the police,” said Murimi.
Bulawayo Deputy Provincial Education director Richard Swene confirmed the incident.
He could, however, not immediately reveal the actual number of pupils who failed to write the exam.
“We’re aware of the incident. As I speak, a team of education officers headed by Nozipho Ngulube, district education officer for Khami district, are at Pumula High School and are already investigating the issue,” said Swene.
He said more details would be released when investigations are complete.
Last month, the Constitutional Court declared that it was unconstitutional to expel pupils from school for having long hair after Batanai Secondary School in Mashava expelled four girls for having long hair.
Online Reporter