GNAT calls for legal backing to enforce a no long hair ban in SHSs
Teacher union – the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called for a legislative instrument to back the ban on fancy hairstyles and long hair in second-cycle schools across the country.
In an interview monitored by Pretertiary.com, the President of GNAT, Rev. Isaac Owusu, said the legal backing will ensure effective implementation and compliance in Senior High Schools nationwide.
He commended Minister for Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu his directive for the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of second-cycle institutions to take full control of student behaviour in schools.
“I appreciate what the Education Minister has said concerning hair in our schools, but for the implementation to be effective, we must go a step further. A lot of the rules in our schools have no legal backing, so even if someone takes us to court, based on the constitution, the school is compelled to rescind a decision,” he stated.
The GNAT President added, “Luckily for us, Haruna Iddrisu is an MP, and in this country, for legislation to work, there must be legal backing. So I will appeal to him to take this to Parliament under the certificate of urgency to ensure enforcement.”
He referenced Article 14 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantees personal liberty but also allows for restrictions in specific cases, including those related to the education and welfare of minors.
“Article 14, Clause 1(e), makes it clear that a person’s liberty may be restricted to ensure the education or welfare of a minor. We are not saying people are not entitled to their freedom, but once you are a minor going to a boarding house as a student, you must abide by certain rules and regulations that do not interfere with your sound mind to learn,” he explained.
Rev. Owusu further argued that many school regulations, such as those governing the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, would benefit from parliamentary instruments to eliminate ambiguity and controversy.
“There are a lot of rules and regulations in our schools that need legislative instruments to back us. If Parliament helps with the legislation, it will settle a lot of controversies and issues,” he emphasised.
The pre-tertiary teacher union calls for legal backing to enforce the ban on hairstyle and long hair policy comes after the Education Minister, speaking at the 75th Anniversary celebrations of Mawuli School, said students are not in school for a beauty contest, therefore directed the ban on long and styled hair in Senior High Schools.
“There is an ongoing debate on social media about haircuts and size, and the lengths of hair in Secondary Schools. We’ll not tolerate it today, we’ll not tolerate it tomorrow, in so long as we are moulding character. If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes, and the next day it will be the way they dress.
Therefore, as part of our disciplinary measures, Headmasters and the Ghana Education Service (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 was to attend a beauty contest, the school environment is not for that purpose and not cut for that purpose, and will not tolerate that as an institution,” he said.
