Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has cautioned that the Education Minister’s recent directive on student hairstyles must not override the constitutional rights of learners.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, October 26, Mr. Asare said while Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s call for discipline and uniformity in schools is commendable, such policies must still respect the principles of fairness, inclusion, and individual rights guaranteed by Ghana’s laws.
The Education Minister, addressing the 75th anniversary celebration of Mawuli Senior High School, had instructed the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of second-cycle institutions to take full control of student discipline, including grooming and appearance. He maintained that schools are meant to instil discipline and character—not promote fashion or beauty.
But Mr. Asare believes the directive must be applied with caution.
“It’s not always about indiscipline or discipline,” he said. “I align with the law, and I encourage anyone who feels unfairly treated to engage the law. Society grows, and so should the law grow.”
He cited the landmark 2021 case of Achimota School student Tyrone Iras Marhguy, whose admission was initially denied because of his dreadlocks, but who later won a legal battle affirming his right to education and religious expression.
“The court made it clear that while schools can regulate dress codes, those rules cannot conflict with constitutional rights such as freedom of religion,” Mr. Asare explained.
He emphasised that the Marhguy case changed public understanding of what constitutes fairness and religious tolerance in Ghana’s educational system, adding that any future policy on student appearance must take those legal precedents into account.
“Before, many thought it was acceptable for schools to deny students admission based on their hairstyles,” he said. “But the courts have since clarified that such practices can be inconsistent with basic human rights. The law must guide us all.”
