Lawyer of the Rastafarian Council says the Ghana Education Service (GES) has backtracked on its initial directive asking the Achimota Senior High School to accept the two students with dreadlocks.
Speaking on The Pulse, Ras Tetteh Wayo said that during a meeting with the GES and the headmistress of Achimota School, in which one of the parents was present, the GES said the purpose of the statement released by the Service was to quell the public outburst on the issue.
“So the GES didn’t really mean what they said. As I speak with you now I can confidently and authoritatively state that the GES publication we all saw some few days was a façade, a fluke.
“It was just to deceive the citizens of this country to believe that the GES is going to restore peace. So Ghana should be aware of how the matter has now unfolded and at this meeting, GES supported the position of Achimota headmistress,” he said.
Mr Wayo said that the GES in the meeting stated that it stands with the headmistress of Achimota School that the two students have been admitted, but they must cut off their dreadlocks in order to enrol.
He stated that Rastafarian Council is shocked by the GES’ reaction and thus they will look at other ways of resolving it.
GES Directive
The GES on Saturday instructed authorities of the Achimota School to admit the two first-year students who reported on campus with dreadlocks.
The directive followed the massive debate on social media after reports that the school had refused to admit the children although they gained admission.
Many Ghanaians were not pleased with the school’s decision to not admit the students though the constitution demands that no person should be discriminated against.
NAGRAT Decision
However, following the GES directive, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) called on the GES to reverse its directive to Achimota School.
Speaking at a press briefing, the President, Angel Carbonu, said that the directive from GES to Achimota School threatens conformity and discipline in schools.
“We are calling on the GES to redirect the Headmistress and the staff of Achimota Senior High School (SHS) to ensure that the rules and regulations of Achimota SHS and indeed any other Senior High School are obeyed by every student.”
Meanwhile, Achimota School has also rejected the directive stating that the school will not compromise on its school rules.
However, the Rastafari Council says it is willing to use other avenues to ensure that the students will be given the chance to pursue their education without compromising on their beliefs.
“It is really a disservice to this country that managers of institutions can sometimes deceive the entire nation. It reduces their reputation, it reduces the trust we have in these public institutions and that alone gives us the leverage to look at other alternatives,” he said.