GES directs Achimota School Headmistress to admit Rastafarians

The Ghana Education Service(GES) has directed the headmistress of Achimota School to admit the two teenage students whose admissions were withdrawn because of their dreadlocks.

This comes after an intensive and sustained online campaign barely 48 hours in protest against the decision of the Achimota school authorities.

A former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak who once had dreadlocks also waded into the conversation and slammed authorities for denying the two students admission into the prestigious school due to their dreadlocks.

The former lawmaker who joined the protest online said the high-handed decision by the school authorities was a breach of the law and called for it to be reversed.

“What the authorities in Achimota school have done constitutes a breach of articles 21(1)(c), 25(1), 26(1) 28(3) and 28(4) of our constitution. They have humiliated those kids on the basis of the kids’ Rasta culture. 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.
I hope the decision would be reversed, in the overall best interest of the school and the affected children,” the former MP who had dreadlock in the past said.

Following the public uproar, the Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwah has taken remedial action directing the authorities to admit the two students.

He told the Daily Graphic that the Head is not within the law to withdraw the admissions of the students on the basis that they are wearing dreadlocks.

“So you cannot say that you will not admit someone on the basis of the person’s religious beliefs, and so, we have asked the Head to allow the children to be in the school,” Prof. Opoku-Amankwah said.

Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com