The Jamaica government says male Rastafarian students will no longer be required to wear tams to cover their dreadlocks while in classes.
Jamaica’s Education Minister Fayval Williams, addressing the 59th annual conference of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA), said the measure would most likely go into effect this new academic term.
“There have been a few times that I’ve gone to schools and I see boys, maybe not more than one or two in a particular school, wearing tams to school to cover their locks. This is 2023 we really, really should not be doing that anymore. We need to respect other people’s religion,” Williams said.
She told the conference that the new directive is a part of a new draft of the dress and grooming policy which is set to be published ahead of the 2023/2024 academic year.
“Yes, we need to say to our students you have to ensure that your hair is clean and so forth. But come on, you shouldn’t have to cover your hair unless that’s what your religion calls for,” she added.
The JTA conference, which ends later on Wednesday, is being held under the theme ‘Advancing the Vision: Reigniting the Passion through Equitable, Inclusive Educational Opportunities’.
