Ghanaian student with aggregate 6, Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea refused to cut off his dreadlocks as the only condition blocking his admission into the Achimota Senior High School. He is set to seek admission in another school. This comes after authorities of the school had insisted as part of the rules of the school, all student must have low-cut hair.
“The kids will still go to other schools, we know other schools will still admit them. The young man who had six (Aggregate 6) is part of a triplet, his two sisters have gotten admission at St. John’s Grammar,” the legal practitioner indicated.
Lawyer for the Rastafari Council, George Tetteh Wayo says the Council is trying other alternatives to get admission in another institution for one of the students who could not register with the Achimota School due to his dreadlocks.
JoyNews/AdomNews · Rejected Rastafarian student seeks admission in other institutions – Lawyer
Authorities of the school had explained their action forms part of the school’s rules which needed to be complied with.
However, Lawyer Tetteh Wayo says he is confident that “there are schools out there that have opened up.”
According to him, there was a young man in Kumasi Okess who as of last Friday, was also facing the same scenario “but the information we are hearing this morning is that he’s gone to school.”
Despite an earlier directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to the school to allow him and another colleague, it has been strongly opposed by the school and its old students’ association, AKORA.
But the Rastafari Council lawyer maintains the founders of the Achimota School had no plans of discriminating during admission.
“So if Achimota School wants to be adamant when Kwagyiri Aggrey and our forefathers were building Achimota School, they built it with the idea to chime out, to educate the black man.
“They did not build the Achimota School with the notion that somebody’s dreadlocks must stop him from becoming Ghana’s first astronaut,” he added.
He has, however, threaten to go to court after all the students successfully gain admission.
GES Directive
The GES on Saturday instructed authorities of the Achimota School to admit the two first-year students who reported on campus with dreadlocks.
The directive followed the massive debate on social media after reports that the school had refused to admit the children although they gained admission.
Many Ghanaians were not pleased with the school’s decision to not admit the student even though the constitution demands that no person should be discriminated against.
NAGRAT Decision
However, following the GES directive the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) called on the GES to reverse its directive to Achimota School.
Speaking at a press briefing, the President Mr Angel Carbonu said that the directive from GES to Achimota School threatens conformity and discipline in schools.
“We are calling on the Ghana Education Service to redirect the Headmistress and the staff of Achimota Senior High School (SHS) to ensure that the rules and regulations of Achimota SHS and indeed any other Senior High School is abided by every student.”
Meanwhile, Achimota School has also rejected the directive stating that the school will not compromise on its school rules.
However, the Rastafari Council says it is willing to use other avenues to ensure that the students will be given the chance to pursue their education without compromising on their belief.
“It is really a disservice to this country that managers of institutions can sometimes deceive the entire nation. It reduces their reputation, it reduces the trust we have in this public institutions and that alone gives us the leverage to look at another alternatives.”
Source: Joy Online
