The Old Achimotan Association (OAA) has chastised the Ghana Education Service (GES) for interfering in a decision by authorities of the Achimota School not to admit two students with dreadlocks.

According to the Association, the law governing the management of Senior High Schools in Ghana makes it the responsibility of the School's governing board to ensure effective and efficient governance of the school. As such, the GES directive contradicting these rules and regulations are in bad taste.

"We are concerned about the action taken by the Director-General (of GES) and have therefore requested that he rescind the directive and allows the governing board to handle the matter," President of the Association, Ernest Aryeetey said in a statement.

The intervention by the school follows media reports that the Ghana Education Service (GES) had directed the management of Achimota School to grant admission to the two boys who were rejected despite being placed by the computerized system.

The directive follows a massive debate on social media on right to education and religion and the violation of these rights by some public schools in the country.

Many described the directive as unfair and a breach of the 1992 Constitution.

But on Saturday, the GES issued the directive asking the children to be admitted.

The Director-General of GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa clarified that Achimota School had no right to deny any student admission because of a hairstyle.

“You cannot say that you will not admit someone on the basis of the person’s religious belief and so we have asked the head to allow the children to be in school,” he stressed.

However, the Old Student Association says while the debate is healthy and necessary, it is wrong for GES to issue a directive or take a decision without consulting the school's board.

"After consulting my colleagues on the Executive Committee, I have written to the Director-General of GES to express concern of the OAA that his action has undermined the authority of the school's governing board," Mr. Aryeetey stressed.

Background

Two students with dreadlocks were on Friday denied admission into the Achimota Senior High School.

According to JoyNews’ sources, school authorities claim it is against the rules of the school to admit students with dreadlocks.

“School authorities of Achimota school have denied two brilliant dreadlock students from being admitted after having been posted there by the Computerised School Placement System,” a parent whose son was among the two students shared on Facebook.

The situation has since generated heated debate on social media with many asking government especially the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to intervene.