KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) says Monday’s court ruling that a school breached the constitutional rights of a Rastafarian student is “a step in the right direction” that should lead Government towards addressing several long-standing requests from that community.

The Court of Appeal ruled that Kensington Primary School in St Catherine had breached the constitutional rights of a female student who was denied access in 2018 after her family refused to trim her dreadlocked hair.

In a statement on Tuesday, Opposition Spokesperson on Culture and Creative Industries, Dr Deborah Hickling Gordon said it was “telling” that the Government even argued against the claim brought by the Rastafarian child, both at first instance and on appeal.

“The intent of the government in this regard was clearly to negate her constitutional rights being judicially recognised and protected.  By claiming in other situations to ‘stand with the Rastafari community’ while fighting in court to take away their rights, the Government’s actions are nothing less than hypocritical and manipulative publicity efforts concerned only with optics; while in reality, they act in a manner that is opposite of what they are telling the country,” Dr Hickling Gordon said in the statement.

The PNP representative urged the Government to use this ruling as a clear indicator that it is time to actively move above and beyond the symbolism of celebratory days and apologies as recently proffered and to also respond with meaningful action on behalf of the Rastafarian community.

“For about a century, the Rastafarian community has been subject to dastardly cases of discrimination on the basis of wearing their hair in ‘dreadlocks’. Discriminatory perceptions and practices such as this are deeply formed and performed within the Jamaican society.  They are based on stereotypes related primarily to race, class and economic access. The ruling is therefore a triumph for Afrocentric self-expression, which forms a well-identified part of Jamaica’s identity conflict,” Dr Hickling Gordon said.

She said the PNP is committed to social justice, equity and diversity, and to actively and inclusively addressing the concerns of the Rastafarian community.