HANOVER, Jamaica— Male Rastafarian students will no longer be required to wear tams to cover their dreadlocks while in school, said Education Minister Fayval Williams Wednesday morning.

Williams made the remarks while speaking at the JTA’s 59th Annual Conference’s official opening and investiture ceremony at the Royalton Negril Resorts and Spa.

“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 declared.

This directive, the minister said, 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.

– Horace Hines