NATIONAL NEWS - The African National Congress (ANC) says that school rules preventing children from wearing their hair in natural styles show that society needs to work together to root out all forms of racism.

On Monday pupils at the Pretoria High School for Girls held a protest against rules they say prevent them from wearing their hair as they would like.

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has intervened, telling the school to review its policies.

ANC secretary Gwede Mantashe says this issue reminds him of the pencil test that was used during apartheid.

"One's race was proven by pulling a pen through your hair. We can’t go through that again. If a young child wants to have braids, let that child have the braids."

Meanwhile, the department of Basic Education has said s it’s concerned by the recent allegations of racist practices at several schools around the country, and added that while it believes that most of the codes of conduct at South Africa’s schools comply with the Constitution, it’s picked up the policies are implemented wrong in many cases.

The department is in the process of reviewing legislation that governs all of South Africa’s schools, to ensure that no child is discriminated against in the classroom.