Academic excellence must balance with Constitutional values
SUNDEEP Sewlal is a school principal my late father, PI Devan, a noted educationist, would have been proud of.
Devan sr was a disciplinarian. He brooked no nonsense from teachers and pupils alike. When he was headmaster of Shallcross Secondary School, he would have a daily assembly and would speak for no less than 30 minutes without a microphone, even in extreme heat and humidity, often on a subject he had only recently covered. Pupils would faint. He would still be talking.
He would sermonise on the need for pupils burying themselves in their studies, punctuality, littering, school uniform, good diet, respect for parents and elders, love of nature … in fact, he would lecture on just about any topic that instilled morality and built character.
Many pupils despised my old man for his strictness at a time when corporal punishment was still the norm. Errant teachers were not too fond of him as he would even haul them over the coals for improper attire and poor lesson delivery. Years later, his critics at school realised his worth for setting high academic standards, and creating a disciplined and orderly school environment.
Decades after Devan sr retired, Sewlal would appear to have been cut from the same cloth or cast in the same mould as my dad. He has set high academic and discipline standards as principal of Drakensberg Secondary School in Estcourt, never mind that it was once known as “Prison School”.
Drakensberg Secondary started its life 124 years ago as the Estcourt Government Indian School on February 1, 1921, when the old prison in McFarlane Street was converted into a school.
When the “Prison School” closed down in 1934, the present school became known as the Estcourt Government Indian School, and was built on land purchased by a joint contribution of 150 pounds each by the local Indian public and the then Natal Education Department.
The school became a high school in 1959 with 17 pupils sitting for the Junior Certificate Examination. In 1965, a group of 13 pupils wrote the first-ever Natal Senior Certificate examination (matric). On September 19, 1978, parents voted for a change of name and the new name of Drakensberg Secondary was adopted in 1980.
Sewlal may not be a prison warder, but he sure knows how to get the best out of his pupils. The matric pupils at this school attained a 96.4% pass in the 2024 National Senior Certificate exams.
In preparation for the 2025 academic year, parents and pupils were informed last December by Sewlal that owing to abuse and non-compliance with the school’s cellphone policy, pupils would no longer be allowed to carry cellphones to school. Also, in adherence to the dress code, pupils must not wear anoraks, narrow pants and fancy hairstyles.
Unfortunately for Sewlal, the new academic year got off to a bad start for him when Drakensberg School hogged the headlines for the wrong reason.
Allegations of religious intolerance surfaced at the school, which had carved a reputation for itself as a bastion of diversity. Hindu pupils were reportedly asked to remove their red (Lakshmi) prayer strings or cover it up during school hours. The teacher, who is Muslim, asked those wearing the red strings to remove it while, it has been alleged, Sewlal had asked them to cover the religious symbol while at school. The teacher allegedly cut the prayer string from one pupil’s hand after she spoke out.
One pupil said: “The principal said we should get letters from our respective priests stating that a prayer had been performed, and the blessed red string had to be tied on to the wrist and worn at all times.”
Now “Sundeep” is a good Hindu name and means “a lighted lamp; brilliant; ablaze”. “Sewlal” means “child of the Hindu god, Shiv”.
Now I take it that principal Sewlal is of Hindu stock. Surely, he should know better than to desecrate the Lakshmi string. There was no need for him to reportedly kiss up to the teacher’s incorrect actions.
Only on New Year’s Day, Drakensberg Secondary posted a prayer on Facebook in which it stated: “We pray for our teachers, who tirelessly strive to inspire, motivate and guide their students. May they be beacons of hope, kindness and compassion in the lives of their students. May they be equipped with the skills and resources needed to meet the diverse needs of their students. May our teachers be the catalysts for positive change, inspiring their students to become active citizens, critical thinkers and compassionate individuals.”
On September 18, 2024, the school hosted a cultural day, celebrating the rich diversity of its pupils, and their respective cultural and religious backgrounds.
According to another Facebook post: “The event was a vibrant display of unity, with students proudly dressed according to their heritage, showcasing Zulu, Hindu, Muslim and other traditional attire … representing the unique cultural tapestry of the school, reminding everyone of the importance of embracing and celebrating our differences.”
Surely Sewlal and his blinkered, fanatical and narrow-minded teacher should know better that South Africa is a democratic society with a diverse population reflecting different cultures, languages and religions.
This should be particularly evident in our public schools where no particular religious ethos should be dominant over and suppress others. Pupils should not face discrimination or harassment because of their faith background, their beliefs, their distinctive religious dress or their religious expression.
The incident at Drakensberg Secondary reminded me of an incident I covered as a journalist 45 years ago when a Hindu member of the theatre staff at St Aidan’s Hospital in Durban, which was established as part of the Anglican Church mission in 1883, was asked to cut the red string on her wrist because, according to the hospital administrator at the time, the Reverend John Pender-Smith, it would “transmit germs during surgical procedures”.
More recently, and personally, my daughter Saranya was at the receiving end of religious bigotry when fresh into Westville High School in 2009, she was asked to remove the black dot she had worn on her forehead since birth, and her nose ring.
This was not long after Sunali Pillay, a pupil at Durban Girls’ High School, was asked to remove her nose ring, and took the matter right up to the Constitutional Court, which overturned the school’s ruling as it was “fatally flawed and violated the pupil’s rights”.
Fortunately in my daughter’s case, I was able to point out to the school’s principal and management team that legal precedent had been set in the Pillay matter for religious symbols to be worn to school, never mind that a Hindu teacher at the meeting sucked up to her white Christian colleagues and asked inane, silly questions about the significance of the black dot and the nose ring. Now does Sewlal not know about the ruling in the Sunali Pillay matter?
Surely, he and all teachers should be aware that the Constitution states that South Africa is not a religious state with a single religion. Public schools must promote the core values of our Constitution such as equity, tolerance, multilingualism, openness, accountability and social integrity.
Unfortunately, more than three decades into democracy, too many public schools and SGBs do not protect the equal religious rights of all pupils and do not live up to core constitutional and democratic values.
Schools should be crucibles of tolerance, teaching an appreciation of diversity, and the ability to live and let others live, the ability to exercise a fair and objective attitude towards those whose opinions, beliefs, practices and religions differ from one’s own.
Bearing in mind that the principal remains the key change agent in school, Sewlal must ensure that the SGB and teachers align with the values enunciated in the Constitution.
It is all well and good that Drakensberg Secondary achieved a 96.4% matric pass rate. But when a teacher walks around with scissors in hand, cutting off Lakshmi strings, then there is an urgent need for academic excellence to be balanced with religious tolerance.
Now here’s a relevant community interest matter for newly-appointed commissioner for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, Rajendran “RT” Govender, to move on to.
Yogin Devan is a media consultant and social commentator. Share your comments with him on: yogind@meropa.co.za
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.