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Dean of the School of Performing Arts of the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum has expressed disagreement with the court ruling that the Rastafarian students, who were refused enrollment into the Achimota school, should be admitted. 

The management of the Achimota School, in March this year, refused to admit two Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, because they have dreadlocks.

Parents of the students sued the Achimota school, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service and the Attorney General.

They prayed 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)”.

They also asked for ''an order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enrol the applicant to continue with his education unhindered'' and further sought compensation for the ''inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time, and violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms''.

The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court presided by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo, giving verdict on the case on Monday, May 31, on grounds that the students' fundamental human rights cannot be limited by the rules, ordered the Achimota School to admit them.

Reacting during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly known as Opanyin Agyekum believed the court ruling has opened the floodgate for students to flout school rules.

He feared there may be future repercussions which may damage the moral fabric and encourage indiscipline in schools.

To him, the Achimota school should have been left to apply their rules.

"The ruling shouldn't have gone in that manner. We should have allowed the Achimota school to apply their rules. So, we have our school and these are our procedures. If you want to come to this school, just follow the procedures but if you think you're not comfortable, find a different school."

"It's not like we're dragging the matter but rather we're opening the floodgate," he asserted.