Governance expert, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah
Governance expert, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah says he fully supports the Achimota school to appeal the High Court ruling that the two Rastafarian students who were refused enrollment should be admitted into the school.
According to the school’s Headmistress, the Rasta students would only be accepted on condition that they shave their dreadlocks but they insisted to keep their hair, hence dragging the school, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service and the Attorney General to court.
A couple of days ago, the Human Rights Division of the High Court delivered a ruling on the legal battle between the Rastafarian students and Board of the Achimota school.
The parents of the students prayed the court to “declare that the failure and or refusal of the 1st Respondent (Achimota School Board of Governors) to admit or enroll the Applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterized by his keeping of Rasta, is a violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 constitution” and further sought for an “order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enroll the applicant to continue with his education unhindered”
The court on Monday ruled that the students should be admitted into the school.
Nonetheless, the Achimota school’s Board says it will take the issue to the Court of Appeal because they disagree with the court.
“The Governing Board of Achimota School…has learned of the outcome of the case brought against it by two persons who had earlier applied to be admitted in the school. The school board disagrees with the ruling of the court. The school has therefore directed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling,” a statement by the Board read.
Speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah stated emphatically that he supports the “school today, yesterday and even tomorrow that they should go for an appeal”.
He argued that, if care is not taken, the court order will empower other students who will also decide to wear any clothing to school whether or not it violates the rules, all in the name of religion and other fundamental human rights.
To him, he expected that the court would have “allowed the school to apply its rules for us all to have a common agenda”.
Dr. Otchere-Ankrah however advised the management of the school to admit the students while they go on an appeal.