Why are girls made to cut their hair in some schools in Zimbabwe?

There is something that has been bothering me for the past TWENTY-FIVE years. Why did the teachers at my primary school ask my parents to cut my hair? It was not just me but every one at my school but I am asking for me. What I would like to know is, what did my hair have to do with my school work?

When you are in primary and secondary school and sometimes high school in Zimbabwe you have to cut all of your hair short. What bothers me is that this rule only affects schools in low-income areas and those run by Christian missions. To me this is discrimination especially because this only affects the black children. Never mind that these rules are enforced by black teachers. I cannot imagine the same rules being applied to students of other races. If you go to one of these schools you only become exempt from this rule by proving that it is a requirement by your religion to keep long hair and some people have had to go to court for this.

I am here asking myself but what does my hair have to do with my school work only if my parents are low-income earners. Does it mean that I will get straight “A”s because my hair is cut short and I look like a boy? Who came up with these rules and why have we kept them for so long? Some will argue that it is the mission schools that have high pass rates but would allowing the girls to grow their hair suddenly make them dumb or smarter? At Sandringham, we were allowed to grow our hair until I was in from three and then the rules changed. I did not start to study more because my hair was cut short or get better grades. Which just reinforced in me that, this was a silly rule pushed for by vindictive female teachers. The female teachers always acted like they were in competition with the students. Especially the teachers who taught Fashion and Fabrics and Food and Nutrition. It was like they were our siblings and this was true in all the schools I went to (I changed schools three times). It sounds silly to me that I would compete with a sixteen year old. I mean honestly.

My sister has curly 3c hair and so the situation with her was even more complicated, the teachers always assumed that she had a relaxer or texturiser in her hair. This meant that even when her hair was short she was still in trouble for hair that grew naturally from her scalp. Most black Zimbabweans have type four hair so my sister is in the minority.

I believe rules are important and should be followed but we should not make rules just for the sake of rules. I think parents of any income and race should be allowed to make a decision on what they do with their children’s hair. It grows naturally from their scalp. Hair should not be something that girls should have to aspire to. What if we made a rule that each child (girl or boy) should finish a book every month.

I know this is a non-issue to most people and there are many more important that need to be fixed but I had to get it of my chest. I am not asking for the students to wear extensions or have their hair relaxed but for them to keep it as comes out of their head. I am natural so I am biased. Most mothers in Zimbabwe know how to keep their children’s hair natural without spending any money like my mom did when I was younger. I just want a fair situation where if we agree that all girls should cut their hair or let it grow, then the rule is for everyone in Zimbabwe across all races and incomes.

Did you have to cut your hair at your school too? Let me know below.