Saturday, 20 April

GES directs Achimota School to admit Rasta students

Education
The Rasta boys were denied admission to Achimota SHS

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Service (GES) has directed the headmistress of Achimota School to admit the two students whose admissions were withdrawn because of their dreadlocks.

The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwah ordered the Acimota School to admit the students, because 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 he told Daily Graphic.

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

The directive follows social media outrage, in reaction to the decision of the Achimota school authorities.

According to him, the decision by the school authorities was a breach of the law, calling for a review.

“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.

 

Source: Classfmonline.com