GES takes decision on Rastafarian students denied admission at Achimota SHS

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has instructed authorities of Achimota Senior High School (SHS) to admit the two first year students who reported on campus with dreadlocks.

This follows massive debate on social media after reports that the school had refused to admit the children although they gained admission.

According to JoyNews’ sources, school authorities had claimed it is against the rules of the school for students to have dreadlocks.

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But a parent, whose son was among those denied admission, described the situation as unfair.

Taking to Facebook to share the story, Raswad Menkrabea explained that his son got posted to Achimota School through the Computerised School Placement System.

He said his son, Oheneba Nkrabeah, and another boy, Irah Marhguy were, however, denied access to education because of their culture and belief.

“My son was one of the affected children and the other student was also refused on the same grounds. We have no option but to battle against this gross human right violation. As a child, he has every right to his culture so far as such culture does not breach the 1992 Constitution.

“He equally deserves the right to access education within his culture just like other cultural believers.

“As a Rastafarian, I think that dreadlocks do not cause any harm which should even be a basis to be asserted by the school authorities,” he wrote.

The post received massive support from some Ghanaians including former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbugu, Ras Muburak, who urged the school to rescind its decision.

According to the MP, the move is a violation of articles 21(1)(c), 25(1), 26(1) 28(3) and 28(4) of the 1992 Constitution which is the Supreme law of the land.

“Not accepting them into the school because of their dreadlocks is degrading treatment which is frowned upon under article 28(3). The school may have its rules, but those rules and all other rules and laws are subservient to the constitution of Ghana. The supreme law of the land is the constitution,” he wrote on Facebook.

However, reacting to the development, the Director-General of GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, said authorities of Achimota School cannot refuse to admit the two students.

“You cannot say that you will not admit someone on the basis of the person’s religious belief and so we have asked the head to allow the children to be in school,” he explained.