GES directive for Achimota School to admit rasta students still stands - Education Minister

The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has noted that the Ghana Education Service (GES) has not backtracked on its directive to Achimota School regarding the enrollment of two Rastafarian students.

According to him, the Director-Director of GES will issue fresh guidelines to all heads of Senior High Schools with regards to the handling of issues of such nature. This, he said will be done once the controversies are addressed.

“I don’t think GES rescinded anything. But what I will tell you is that the Chief Director of the Education Ministry together with the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, the parents and the headmistress have been in meetings. They’ve been meeting. Thursday, there was a long meeting here. We will find a solution to the crisis and thereafter GES will issue a directive to all headmasters and headmistresses as to what to do in such a situation,” he said.

Achimota School denied admission to two Rastafarian students over their refusal to trim their dreadlocks.

The school authorities justified the move by saying it was against the rules of the school to admit students with dreadlocks.

In an earlier directive by the GES, Director-General Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa said the authorities of Achimota School could not refuse to admit the two students but the headmistress refused to heed the directive.

Speaking on a Joy Prime show called “On The Record,‘ the minister for education intimated that Achimota remains a beacon in terms of educational excellence and cannot be defined by a story of exclusion.

“I do not believe that Achimota’s history is going to be defined by a story of exclusion. Achimota is a great institution and we will do everything to ensure that it maintains its brand as a great institution of repute,” the Minister said.

Dr Adutwum, however, urged Ghanaians to remain calm as various stakeholders find a long-lasting solution.