GES directs Achimota School to admit Rastafarian students

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed Achimota School Senior High to admit the two first-year Rastafarian students denied admission after reporting to school in dreadlocks.

The students were denied admission at Achimota School on their first day in Senior High after reporting in dreadlocks.

The students who were posted to the Achimota School by the Computer Placement System were denied access by authorities of the school who found them guilty of breaking rules.

The issue went viral on social media after Rasward Nkrabeah, one of the parents of the students took to Facebook to express his frustrations and disgust claiming that, his child was denied admission because ‘their rules do not allow students with dreadlocks to be admitted’.

However, in an interview with the Director-General of GES, Prof Kwasi-Opoku Amankwa, disclosed that the Rastafarian students would return to school and given admission to Achimota School on Monday, March 22, 2021.

According to him, no school can deny a student on the basis of their religion. He, however added that the school can only urge the students to tie their hair neatly when coming to school.

“We have directed Achimota School Headmistress to admit the students. The student is a Rastafarian and if there is evidence to show that he is, all that he needs to do is tie the hair neatly,” the GES official told Daily Graphic newspaper.

“So 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,” Prof. Opoku-Amankwah said.

In the midst of the issue, authorities of Achimota School have not responded to the accusations.