Achimota/Rasta Students: Don't Intimidate The Students - Kamal-Deen Cautions Authorities

Kamal-Deen Abdulai, Deputy Commuications Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party, has cautioned the authorities of Achimota school not to intimidate the Rastafarian students admitted into the school.

The students were initially not permitted to enroll because of their dreadlocks.

Headmistress of the Achimota school asked them to shave the dreadlocks before they would be allowed into the school but their parents dissented to the instruction and as a result, sued the school, Attorney General, Ghana Education Service and the Minister of Education.

They presented their case before the Human Rights Division of the High Court, praying 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'' and further sought "an order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enroll the applicant to continue with his education unhindered''.

The court, on Monday, May 31st, ruled that the Achimota school should admit the students.

As the students attend the school, Kamal-Deen has admonished the authorities not to single out the students.

He emphasized that the "authorities have a role to play in making sure the children are comfortable on campus''.

He asked them to treat the students without prejudice or subject them to any kind of unfair treatment.

''Their future is in your hands. If you think they have gone to court for the court to rule that they should be admitted by force and so we will treat them in a way that they will not feel good, that will also not be good to them. There are some teachers who are fixated. They are against Rastafarianism; they're against a child with dreadlocks. The way you will teach and when the child ask question, the way you will respond, the way you will respond; the way you'll talk to him, you'll intimidate the child and if care is not taken, he will not be able to study well...Obviously, it is better you give them same leverage you will be giving to other children."

He also advised the students to comport themselves on campus by abiding by all rules and regulations.

''Man is actually [if you like] subject to change. The child must abide by the regulations. That he will not dirty himself or influence other students to adopt a bad behaviour and so forth. Who says there are people, who on this earth, who don't carry locks and are not bad? When you take peer pressure; there are a lot of children in Secondary school who don't carry locks . . . I remember there was somebody who got me to smoke cigarette some time ago; he wasn't carrying locks. When I reached a stage where I felt it wasn't good for me, I left it," he added.

Kamal-Deen spoke to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Friday morning.