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The Ningo-Prampram member of parliament says it is illegal for Achimota school authorities to deny enrollment to about two Rastafarian students.
Mr. Sam Nartey George, in his presentation in the Chamber, indicated that article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution opposes discrimination of any kind, therefore the Achimota School must submit to the dictates of the law and enroll the two Rasta students.
“Mr. President, Article 17 (2) of the Constitution is clear that no one will be discriminated against for any reason. Why is he wearing dreadlocks? Is it a fashion statement or is it the result of a religious belief? Our understanding is that it is the result of a religious belief.
“So are we going to say that the Achimota School rules and regulations supersede the 1992 constitution? We cannot accept this Mr. President ”, he affirmed.
Their concerns follow the decision of the Achimota School administrator and the Ghana Education Service that they have refused to enroll the two students, Tyron Marghuy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, due to their dreadlocks.
Citing media reports, he claimed that these students have subscribed to the Rastafarian religion and have debunked claims of wearing dreadlocks to make a fashion statement, thus finding no reason for the school’s unwavering decision.
Therefore, he accused the Achimota school administrators of being discriminatory, as in recent years they have accepted white students with long hair, but currently do not enroll Ghanaian students with dreadlocks.
“It is this type of discrimination and I call it discrimination because the Achimota school itself has white Caucasian girls who wear long hair, which is against the rules and regulations of the Achimota school. So we must ask ourselves’ is it because this young man is a Ghanaian whose father or mother may not be ‘someone’ in our society?
“Is that why they treat him that way? While you are in that same school, you have foreign, non-Ghanaian, Caucasian students who also wear long hair in the same school. So where were the Achimota rules and regulations when foreign students were allowed to wear long hair? ” I ask.
According to Sam George, it came as a surprise to him when he learned that the students had been turned away because of their hair, as it had nothing to do with their contribution to society.
“Mr. President, the question we should ask ourselves is’ Are we as a country more interested in the knowledge that we impart to the young men and women who will form the next generation of leaders, or are we interested in what they carry on their heads? Mr. President, is there any scientific evidence to show that wearing low hair is equivalent to being a responsible citizen?
“… When listening to one of the students in question, it is shocking that any school wants to deprive such an intelligent young man of the opportunity to continue his education,” he further stated.
The Ningo-Prampram MP, in conclusion, suggested that the debate on the issue be broadened to allow the nation to reconsider some of the “colonial thinking and mentality” imposed on Ghanaians in other sectors of the country.
“The director herself wears an artificial wig, but we think it is wrong for someone to wear dreadlocks. So, Mr. President, you must start a new and broader debate in this country. We are trapped in our colonial thinking and mentality, so they still have to respectfully present themselves to our Supreme Court justices and attorneys with horse wigs that are a relic of the colonial past, ”he stated.
