The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Achimota School has backed the decision of the headmistress not to allow to two students with dreadlocks study in the school.
In a letter issued by the PTA, they insists they ‘unequivocally and unreservedly’ backs the decision of the headmistress which is in accordance with rules set up to govern the administration of the school.
“According to the school’s revised rules and regulations (August 2020), Section H (General Appearance), item 3 states “students must keep their hairs low, simple and natural. (Students hair should not go through any chemical process). The scalp must not show,” the statement from the PTA read in part.
According to the PTA, they back the action of the headmistress because this age-old rule has “prevented unnecessary attention and time wasting with non-school hair dos.”
To them, any exception to this rule on religious grounds will open the floodgates for all types of hairstyles and breed indiscipline…,” the statement continued.
The statement follows an earlier one by the Old Students of Achimota School who raised an issue with the directive issued to the school authority by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
They said even though the GES has the right to issue such directives, the matter involving the students with dreadlocks should be left at the hands of the governing board to be dealt with.
The Director-General of the GES Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa told authorities at the Achimota School to allow students with dreadlocks to be in school.
He said in an interview with the Daily Graphic that “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 school.”
Below is the full statement by the PTA:
