The Human Rights court has ordered Achimota Senior High School to admit the two Rastafarian students rejected due to their hairstyle.
This directive comes after a court hearing today, May, 31, 2021 following an appeal by the parent of Tyrone Marhguy, one of the Rastafarian Students who was denied admission.
The Human Rights Court 1 Division of the High Court in Accra presided by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo also ordered for the second student involved also to be admitted.
This case stems from the decision by the management of Achimota Senior High School denying two Rastafarian students’ admission as a result of their hairstyle. The school indicated that its refusal was as a result of the hairstyle going against the rules which directs all students to keep a low haircut.
The Ghana Education Service (GES), mediating the issue subsequently directed the school authorities to admit the students since they were duly qualified. But the management of Achimota Senior High School however rejected the directive of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to admit the students.
This was the outcome after an extensive meeting between the parents of the two boys, officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and management of the school.
Causing a public uproar, various stakeholders and concerned citizens voiced out their views which saw a division of stance which had some backing Achimota school’s decision and some being against the school’s stand.
CHASS on Rastafarian students’ admission
Notable amongst the stakeholders were NAGRAT and CHASS who threw their support behind Achimota School to deny the two Rastafarian students.
Speaking on the issue then, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools CHASS, Alhaji Yacoub Abubakari said his outfit backs NAGRAT on the fact that the GES directive to allow Rastafarians in SHS schools ought to be rescinded.
He explained that students must keep a low haircut since it is part of the school’s regulation. He also stated that, it is a comprehensive rule which has been established and must be adhered to.
Journalists sacked from courtroom
Prior to the hearing today, journalists who were present to cover the hearing of the two suits brought against the Achimota School by Rastafarian students were sacked from the courtroom ahead of the delivery of the verdict.
According to reports, an instruction was issued to journalists and other persons not directly linked to the case by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo of the Human Rights Court 1 Division of the High Court to vacate the courtroom.
Reports have it that, the instruction was delivered by the clerk minutes to the hearing on Monday, May 31, 2021. It was also reported that the clerk did not state the reason for the decision made by the judge.
Members of the judicial press corps who were there made a formal representation to the Court officials for the directive to be reconsidered, but their plea fell on deaf ears.
