A defiant Port Elizabeth pupil has accused her school of racism amid threats of being barred from writing her first exam tomorrow if she does not get rid of her afro hairstyle.

Lawson Brown High School Grade 12 pupil, Unathi Gongxeka, said she felt "violated and victimised" when teachers told her last week to either tie up or straighten her hair, failure which the 18-year-old would be barred from writing the all-important matric trial exams.

While the school denied allegations of racism yesterday, principal Donovan Cairncross said they were simply enforcing a long-standing hair-related rule which applied to all pupils. He denied Unathi was instructed to straighten her hair.

"There was talk of hair not being in line with our code of conduct and pupils were told to tie up their hair. Pupils are alleging racism but we have asked them to point out incidents and no one has been able to," Cairncross said.

Unathi, who lives in Kwazakhele, said deputy principal Knip Joubert inspected pupils' hair on Thursday ahead of the exams.

"He told me to go to the teacher who is in charge of the hair committee to ask if my hair is appropriate. I was told to neaten it. On Friday again, the same teacher told me to tie it into a ponytail or push it back somehow. The teacher then told me to relax my hair to make it more beautiful."

Unathi said she would not be changing her hair and was determined to write her English exam tomorrow. "If they do not allow me to write I will call my father," she said.

But Cairncross said the situation had been "blown out of proportion, other pupils are spurring Unathi on," he said. "The pupils are very emotional right now but the fact is that no one was grabbed by the hair."

He said the school would never chase a pupil away but a code of conduct dictated that pupils should be neat and presentable.

Also defending the school's decision, Joubert said they were not targeting black pupils.

Unathi's father Mbukeli Gongxeka, 42, said he was disappointed with the school.

"I really believe it is a racial issue and this makes me angry because there is nothing wrong with her natural hair. Telling her to relax her hair is interfering with our culture and infringing on her rights."

Eastern Cape education department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said a district official would be sent to investigate and compile a report.

"It is against the law for a school to discriminate [against] learners based on their hair, colour, race, religion and sexuality. If this is the school policy then it to be reviewed. It is this pupil's right to write her exams," Mtima said.

butlerl@timesmedia.co.za