<<Print>>

Governance Lecturer, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah says he disagrees with the High Court ruling that Achimota school should admit two Rastafarian students who courted huge controversies months ago.

The Achimota school, in March this year, refused to enroll the students because of their dreadlocks.

The management of the school argued the students' long hair is against the school's rules, therefore directing them to shave their dreadlocks before they will be permitted into the school.

But the school's decision exasperated the students' parents who subequently dragged the Achimota school to the High Court demanding "an order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enrol the applicant to continue with his education unhindered".

They also called on the court to "declare that the failure and or refusal of the 1st Respondent (Achimota School Board of Governors) to admit or enroll the Applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterized by his keeping of Rasta, is a violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 constitution particularly Articles 12(1), 23, 21(1)(b)(c)".

After the court hearing, the presiding Judge ruled that the Achimota school's management decision is an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the students.

The Judge ordered the school to admit the students.

Discussing the court ruling, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah opined that the court should have allowed the school to apply its rules.

To him, the ruling will potentially set a bad precedent in the nation.

He explained the ruling has now opened doors for all kinds of misbehavior to go on in the various Senior High Schools because now any student can, in the name of religion, decide to wear anything to school.

"I expected that we allowed the school to apply its rules for us all to have a common agenda," he expressed his disappointment.

" . . I disagree with the court . . . because this is going to open doors for someone, who's father is a traditionalist, to say he wears fugu (smock) wherever he goes, so are we going to allow him to wear the fugu? Someone says his father is a fetish priest and that's also a religion, so he wants to wear beads and pour powder on himself to sit in the class; we should be very careful," he added.

''Ethics is not following the law, therefore the fact the law says this or that doesn't make it right. Ethics is knowing what is right from wrong, bad from good; so something maybe lawful but not right," he further argued.

He spoke to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Thursday morning.