https://www.myjoyonline.com/1-of-2-rastafarian-students-admitted-to-achimota-school/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/1-of-2-rastafarian-students-admitted-to-achimota-school/
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea on Achimota School campus

Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, one of the two Rastafarian students, who was earlier denied admission by Achimota School, has finally been admitted to join his colleagues in the classroom.

This has been made possible due to a high Court Judgment and an intervention by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame. Now, Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea's dream of attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology later, to further his goal to work in silicon valley, starts today, from Achimota School.

Although there is a legal battle still ongoing, Oheneba's mother, Manaa Myers, told JoyNews that they were welcomed to loud cheers by students and a warm reception by officials of the School.

“I was initially disturbed when the situation with the security people happened. I was asking myself if I did the right thing. Should I have listened to friends and family when they were saying that we should go to another school?

“But then when the Day Student Prefect came in, I just got so relieved. Also, you could see that  Oheneba’s demeanor had changed the moment the lady approached us because she is also a student. So for her to be that warm, he felt welcome,” Madam Meyers said.

Meanwhile, the other Rastafarian boy, Tyrone Marhguy, is yet to go through the admission process.

JoyNews has gathered that he will go through the process on Friday, June 4.

In March this year, Achimota School issued admission letters to the two students but indicated that they would only be enrolled on condition that they shave their dreadlocks in accordance with the School’s academic regulations.

Subsequently, on Monday, May 31, a Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo, ruled that the fundamental human rights of the two students cannot be limited by the rules in question.

This was after the two Rastafarian students dragged the Achimota School Board of Governors, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney General to court for refusing to enroll them.

Justice Gifty Agyei argued that she doesn’t think the Achimota School and proponents, including GES and the Attorney General’s Department, have made a compelling argument as to why those two students should not be admitted, especially given their rights to education as well as their rights to express their religious

But the School’s Governing Board issued a statement on Tuesday, June 1, stating its disagreement with the ruling and subsequent decision to appeal the ruling. “The School disagrees with the ruling of the court. The School Board has therefore directed its Lawyers to appeal against the ruling,” the statement said.

This notwithstanding, the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame in an interview with JoyNews Wednesday, June 2, revealed that Achimota School will admit the two Rastafarian students it denied admission after being advised to withdraw its stay of execution while contesting the court’s decision.

For him, the initiative is to enforce the President’s educational policy that “if students ought to go to school, the school ought to open its doors to them” including the two Rastafarian students in question.

He added that the Pre-Tertiary Education Act mandates Ghana Education Service as the body with powers to supervise all public schools, hence Achimota School cannot fail to heed to government’s call.

Also, the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum who described as surprising, the decision of the Governing Board of Achimota School to appeal the court ruling, insisted that the school cannot unilaterally take such a decision.

“I am very surprised. He cannot take that unilateral decision. I’m waiting for a full briefing of the Attorney General who I commend for going to court, so nobody can preempt us. So, Achimota Board, chill,” he said on Accra-based Metro TV Tuesday.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.