Religious practices remain in schools; Court provides guidelines

28 June 2017

Solidarity today welcomed the finding by the Johannesburg High Court that religious practices may continue in public schools. The trade union is currently studying the ruling to determine what the limitations imposed on governing bodies by the court will entail in practice. 

According to Solidarity spokesperson Juran van den Heever, the court today also ruled that a public school may not promote one religion by excluding another. Furthermore, a school may not promote one specific religion exclusively as the religion that it supports. 

“Governing bodies still retain the right and competence to determine the policies of a particular school provided they comply with the guidelines contained in the South African Schools Act. “School communities and staff members may still reflect their religious convictions in their calling, provided that learners of other religious convictions are also given the opportunity to reflect theirs,” Van den Heever said. 

Van den Heever furthermore emphasised that OGOD underwent stringent criticism by the court and that its court application failed to a large extent. “The High Court denied OGOD’s main application that religious practices should be prohibited in public schools. In addition, OGOD did not succeed in having it declared unconstitutional,” Van den Heever explained.  

Issued by Juran van den Heever, Communication manager: Solidarity, 28 June 2017