The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has urged its members at Achimota School to obey the court ruling with regards to the admission of the Rastafarian students.
According to the Association’s General Secretary Thomas Musa, “this ruling will not affect teacher-student relationship” if handled in the right manner.
This comes after the Achimota School’s Governing Board stated its intention to appeal the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court’s decision to admit the two teens.
Tyrone Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, two Rastafarian students, sued the Achimota School Board of Governors, the Minister of Education, the Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney General for refusing to admit them to school. Achimota School insisted that they shave their dreadlocks to conform with the school’s rules.
The ruling that went against the school authorities delivered by Justice Gifty Agyei was received with displeasure, triggering measures to appeal the verdict, per a June 1 communiqué.
However, in an interview, Thomas Musa said that tutors in the affected institution must accept the instruction in good faith and continue to fulfil their purpose of providing great education.
“As professionals, we will behave accordingly and ensure that the best comes out of the children that we teach because we are professionals,” he said on Tuesday.
The GNAT General Secretary further advised all stakeholders to carefully peruse the full details of the court ruling to appreciate the ramification of the broader education sector.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah believes the ruling ordering Achimota School to admit two Rastafarian students is still in force despite the institution’s decision to contest it.
“Once a ruling has been given, all the things that are required for the fulfilment of that ruling, for me, should continue and then we would ensure that the lawyer for Tyrone would enforce that and then whatever we need to ensure that their fundamental rights are protected, we will also go ahead and do that,” he said.
Source: myjoyonline.com
