Siblings of embattled Achimota student risk expulsion from St John’s Grammar

Nikita and Amrita Marhguy, the two siblings of Tyron Marhguy, the Rastafarian who was denied admission by Achimota school risk being sacked from St John’s Grammar School if they do not cut their dreadlocks.

This is after some old students petitioned the school to have the students trim their hair or be removed from the school.

Ras Marhguy, the father of the ‘victimized’ students revealed the plight of his children after a meeting between him and the management of the school.

He detailed that on Monday, March 22, 2021, his daughters who had already been granted admission into the school returned with a message that they report to school the following day with their parents.

Ras Marhguy says during the meeting, the management conveyed their decision to them that following some complaints by some old students, the school wants them to remove their hair or get booted out.

“They came on the 18th [March 2021] to submit all the documents they were asked to bring. But they came with a complaint that the old students wanted me to come and talk about their hair. When we came to submit the [documents], I saw the headmaster and spoke, pointed to the girls and told him I wanted to talk about their hair.

“But he said no problem, you should make sure they submit everything and then be in the school and then you can come next week so we talk. So I thought everything was cool until they came with this report yesterday,” he said.

“When we came, one man came out and told us that Achimota is their sister school and that they have rules which must be obeyed and so if we wanted the kids to be in the school, we should go cut their hair,” he claimed.

Tyrone Marhguy said he was he received the news with shock and anger as he struggled to understand why he and his sisters will be victimized just because of their belief.

“I am angry, I am sad, I am disappointed, all put together. [My sisters] are also affected now. I came to visit them yesterday and everything seemed cool. But they came home complaining that back at school, some members of the Old Students Association (JOSA) came and asked them questions they found very offensive,” he told Joy News.

‘‘[They asked her, ‘do you even wash your hair? So how do you feel having this nasty thing on your hair? As if it was something disgusting,” Tyrone alleged.

“It’s our culture. It’s our belief. They are Christians and we are Rastafarians. Is there any problem keeping up with our own culture?” he quizzed.