The legal tussle between the two Rastafarian students and the Achimota Senior High School is far from over as the Board of Governors of the school has served notice that the school will appeal against the ruling of an Accra High Court ordering it to admit the Rastafarian students it had denied admission over their refusal to cut down their Rasta hairstyle.
In a statement signed by Chairman of the Board of Governors, the school’s governing board said it disagrees with the court’s position that the school violated the rights of the students when it refused to admit them and thus, has directed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling.
“The Governing Board of Achimota School was represented in Court yesterday, 31st May 2021, and has learned of the outcome of the case brought against it by two persons who had earlier applied to be admitted to the school. The court ruled that the religious rights of the two applicants had been violated by the school management as they sought to enforce the time-tested and well-known rules of the school. The court further directed the school to admit the two applicants.
The school board disagrees with the ruling of the court. The school board has therefore directed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling,” it said.
The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court, yesterday, ruled that the Achimota Senior High School’s refusal to admit the two Rastafarian students over their dreadlocks is an infringement on the children’s right to education and freedom of religion.
The school, in March this year, refused to admit the two students, who performed excellently in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and were successfully placed in the school by the Computerized Placement System, insisting that they would only admit the students on the condition that they cut down their dreadlocks. The school claimed its rules and regulations do not permit the wearing of long hair hence, they must conform with its rules and regulations if they want to be admitted.
But the students and their parents explained that they could not cut off their dreadlocks because it is a cardinal part of their beliefs and practices as Rastafarians.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) subsequently intervened and ordered the school to admit the students.
But the School with the backing of some teachers’ union and its old students defied the GES’ directive forcing the two students to resort to the court for a redress.
The students, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea sued the Board of Governors of the School, the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Education and the Attorney General over what they say is a violation of their Fundamental Human Rights.
After over a month of legal battle, the law court delivered its verdict on May 31, 2021 setting aside the supposed school’s rule preventing the students from wearing dreadlocks to school.
The court contended that the application of the rule in question will restrain the students from enjoying their rights to education and freedom of religion which are guaranteed in the 1992 Constitution, adding that the defendants did not make any compelling argument as to why the students should not be admitted on the basis of their hairstyles.
It, therefore, ordered the school to admit the two students.
