Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to parents to cooperate with the Ghana Education Service (GES) in enforcing a strict directive on approved hairstyles for senior high school students across the country.
The call comes in the wake of public debate following a viral video of a first-year student of Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School in Kumasi who was seen in tears while having her hair trimmed before reporting to school.
The Minister in an earlier reaction at the Mawuli School anniversary over the weekend had stated long hairs will not be tolerated in senior high schools.
“We will not tolerate it today or we will not tolerate it tomorrow, in so long as molding character.”
“If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes, and the next day it will be the way they [students] dress.”
“Therefore, as part of our disciplinary measures, headmasters and GES, you are accordingly empowered to take full control of how students behave on your campuses.”
“So anybody who thinks that your child will walk into any institution of learning, as if that child, forgive my words, was to attend a beauty contest, the school environment will not for that purpose and not cut for that purpose and we will not tolerate that as an institution,” the minister stated.
Touching on the development again at a stakeholder engagement at the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) in Accra, the Minister explained that the directive aims to promote uniformity, discipline and equity among students at the secondary level.
Mr. Iddrisu urged parents to assist the Ghana Education Service in enforcing the dressing and hairstyle guidelines.
