One of the Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy, who was refused admission by Achimota School has filed a suit at the High Court (Human Rights Division) to enforce his fundamental Human Rights.
According to some court documents sighted by JoyNews, the applicant is asking the court to “declare that the failure and or refusal of the 1st Respondent (Achimota School Board of Governors) to admit or enroll the Applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterized by his keeping of Rasta is a violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 constitution particularly Articles 12(1), 23, 21(1)(b)(c)”.
Tyrone Marhguy has been denied admission to the Achimota School over his failure to trim his dreadlocks.
The school authorities have justified the move with claims that it is against the rules of the school to admit students with dreadlocks, thus if the student must be admitted, he must conform to the rules of the school.
This generated huge public debate, with a section of the public questioning school authorities for the decision, while others defended the move.
A school of thought believe the decision is discriminatory. Nonetheless, another say school authorities are right since every student must conform to the rules of the schoolsThe suit argued that the denial of admission is a “violation of his (Tyrone Iras Marhguy’s)right to dignity”. The document continues that “…There is no lawful basis for [Achimota School] to interfere with the applicant’s right to education based on his rasta through which he manifests or expresses his constitutionally guaranteed right to religion and to practice and manifest same.”
The application is seeking “an order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enrol the applicant to continue with his education unhindered.”
The applicant is also seeking compensation for the “inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time, and violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms”.
