According to Africa Education Watch, the government’s decision to appeal a High Court ruling on the admission of a Rastafarian student to the Achimota School was unnecessary.
The school board also said the court erred by ruling that Achimota School’s rules and regulations requiring uniformity in appearance were unlawful and interfered with the exercise of one’s religious rights.
As a result, the school has asked the Appeals Court to vacate the entire judgment that orders it to admit the student.
The Attorney General stated in the notice of appeal obtained by Citi News that the High Court judge, Justice Gifty Agyei Addo, who had previously ruled that the two Rastafarian boys, Tyrone Marhguy and Ohene Nkrabea, be admitted to the school with their dreadlocks, erred.
According to the AG, the school’s request that the boys cut their hair before being admitted did not violate their right to an education, as the judge claimed.
The AG’s office said, the trial judge also failed to recognize the importance of giving Achimota School’s rules and regulations, which include student hairstyles.
However, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, criticized the move in a Citi News interview.
“It is the primary responsibility of the state to protect and support the rights of individuals.” It should not be the case that the state is more interested in opposing individual rights such as the right to education, which the state is obligated to protect.”
“It would have been preferable for the state to put the matter to rest.”
Also read: Achimota School appeal court ruling on Rastafarian student
On Monday, May 31, 2021, the Accra High Court issued its decision regarding the denial of admission to Achimota School for two Rastafarian boys, Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea, because they did not cut their dreadlocks.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Gifty Adjei Addo, disagreed with the Attorney General’s submissions and granted all of the reliefs sought separately by the embattled students except compensation in the case of Tyrone Marhguy.
According to Justice Addo, the Attorney General’s suggestion that the two were not students in the first place is absurd.
As a result, Justice Gifty Adjei Addo ordered that the two Rastafarian students be admitted to Achimota School.
Following the court’s decision, Achimota School announced through its board that it would appeal the decision.
The school then attempted to obtain a stay of execution order in order to halt the order’s execution, but later announced that the decision had been withdrawn.
The school board, in a statement issued on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, stated that it is committed to appealing the High Court’s decision.
The two boys were later admitted to the school.
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