Achimota Rasta Brouhaha: We've To Establish Standard Rules For Schools In Ghana - GES Told

Former Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea says the Ghana Education Service must hold a consultative meeting with stakeholders in the education sector and come up with standard rules for all public schools in Ghana.

Nana Akomea believed the standard rules will help to address any issues that may arise as a result of decisions by management of public schools against students and also draw the boundaries for students.

Mr Akomea was sharing his views on the ongoing brouhaha between Achimota School, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the two Rastafarian students.

Achimota School has refused to enroll the two students unless they cut their dreadlocks. 

The school incurred the wrath of a parent of one of the students who took the matter to the court of public opinion by posting the incident on social media.

Following the school's decision, the GES directed the Headmistress to admit the students.

"We have asked her [headmistress] to admit the students. The student is a Rastafarian and if there is evidence to show that he is Rastafarian, all that he needs to do is to tie the hair neatly.

". . 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”, the Director-General of the GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa told the Daily Graphic.

But in a latest development, the GES has backtracked on its decision.

At a meeting at the GES headquarters on Monday, March 22, the GES rescinded its earlier directive and supported Achimota School's policy that the students can only come to school after cutting their dreadlocks.

Nana Akomea held that setting standard rules will prevent future occurences of the matter at stake.

Discussing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Mr Akomea, who is currently the Managing Director of the Intercity STC Coaches Limited said; "We have to establish standard rules for Secondary schools . . . so that the rules will not be depend on the Headmaster or Headmistress. It has to be uniform. So, the Ghana Education Service and the Headmasters' Conference together with the stakeholders must meet and come up with rules that the Ghana Education Service, religious bodies, experts in culture have all accepted to help Ghanaian students."