- "For the past six years when countries across the continent began granting rights to religious minorities including Rastafari groups in the education sector, there is no country where floodgates have been opened. No one has walked barefooted or exhibited strange behaviours under the context of religion."
Kofi Asare, the executive director of the Africa Education Watch has described the decision by Achimota School to appeal the ruling of the High Court in the Rastafarian saga as rather “unfortunate”.
The governing board of Achimota School says that it will appeal against the ruling which ordered officials of the school to admit a young Rastafarian student, Tyron Iras Marhguy and one other.
Asare said the governing board’s position defeats the pillar of unity upon which Achimota School was established.
Speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday 2 June 2021, Asare refuted claims the ruling may open the floodgate for other minority groups to demand their rights in such institutions.
“I disagree with the last suggestion… for the past six years when countries across the continent began granting rights to religious minorities including Rastafari groups in the education sector, there is no country where floodgates have been opened. No one has walked barefooted or exhibited strange behaviours under the context of religion,” he said.
Asare added: “There is no country that the floodgates have been opened so the floodgate concept is not grounded in evidence… in Ghana there are many schools that have been admitting Rastafarian students every year unless of course you want to tell me they are undisciplined schools… So I think that argument is an unnecessary extrapolation of the ruling.”
The executive director of Africa Education Watch cited countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Malawi where similar rulings have been given and have not opened the floodgates for indiscipline in such schools.
Background
In a statement issued on Tuesday (1 June) the governing board of Achimota School said that it “disagrees with the ruling of the court”.
“The School Board has therefore directed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling,” the statement added.
Court ruling
On 31 May, the Human Rights Court in Accra ordered officials of Achimota School to admit one of the Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy.
Marhguy, who was denied admission together with one other Rastafarian student, sued the school to affirm his fundamental human rights.
He said he was being denied admission to Achimota because of his dreadlocks.
In granting the application, the court held that Achimota School’s refusal to admit Marhguy on the grounds that he was wearing dreadlocks amounted to a breach of his fundamental human rights and his right to education.
Fred Dzakpata
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