A former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak, has applauded the parents of the Achimota Rastafarian boys for fighting for the rights of their children.
The Achimota School had initially rejected the two boys, Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea, for refusing to cut off their dreadlocks to conform with school rules, on the basis that their hairstyle represents their rastafari religion.
The former NDC legislator backed the position of the boys and their parents, citing Article 28 clause 4, which states that “No child shall be deprived by any other person of medical treatment, education or any other social or economic benefits by reason only of religious or any other beliefs.”
Expressing his satisfaction with the ruling, Ras Mubarak in an interview with citinewsroom.com explained that this is a “landmark ruling as it provides further clarity that going forward, institutions especially public institutions, who discriminate against persons from minority groups ought to be extremely careful.”
He advised institutions especially public institutions to promote inclusion as a catalyst for growth.
The court ruling by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo held that the Attorney-General failed to provide a legal justification as to why the rights of the two Rastafarian students to education should be limited on the basis of their dreadlocks.
