It is quite interesting that in the midst of the dreadlocks brouhaha, we hear from Jamaica that the superior court had ruled that a school had the right not to enrol a pupil unless he/she cuts off his/her dreadlocks, and Achimota School, which turned down a student because of his dreadlocks, actually has two sets of rules. One is for Black students to mandatorily cut their hair low and Caucasian students to mandatorily wear theirs long so that they do not look ugly.
A breach of common sense, Motown says, is a breach of school rules. In my opinion, this is a clear breach of common sense if that is truly the rule.
As stated here, I believe that allowing dreadlocks to be worn by students in the primary and secondary levels could open the floodgates for all manner of hair-dos.
People are talking about identity and that the students have the right to manifest their identities. If so, let us take a look at what could possibly happen.
A fetish priest/priestess would like to wear unkempt hair and paint the face in colours of white, red and or black. They would also prefer to be in fetish regalia.
Then what about a crowned prince/princess who would prefer to wear the prescribed attire in school? And finally, what about students who will insist they appear in their native attire and hair-dos?
Everybody has rights, but what about responsibilities. In this dreadlocks brouhaha, those for the Rastafarian students are talking about their rights, but what about their responsibilities as students?
In every institution there are rules and regulations which are not to be compromised upon if the institution is to hold together. In the military there are rules which every personnel is mandated to respectfully observe. A Rastafarian, a fetish priest, a chief or queenmother cannot line up to be recruited and demand that they should be allowed to appear and look as they wish.
In the military, standards are upheld and those allowed to wear beards do so after proving medically that shaving is not good for them. These strict codes make them a highly disciplined sector of any nation, because, the rules are upheld without compromise.
This is how we need to bring up our children – to respect the rules and regulations at all times. There is some transformation in them when they obey school rules, and this is clearly noticed when they come home.
In Achimota, the age-old rules state that every student must cut his/her hair low among others. Even as this, if the rule applies only to Blacks, then it must be respected and upheld by Blacks, period! And, by the way, who says female Caucasians look ugly whenever they cut their hair, we see them abroad and on the silver screens.
At any rate, what will it cost the faith of this Rastafarian if he/she cuts off the dreadlocks? If wearing dreadlocks is strictly attached to the practice of their faith, then why would the court in Jamaica, the home of dreadlocks, rule in favour of a school which demanded that a pupil should cut her’s off?
Yet, here in Ghana, we think it is a violation of someone’s right when he/she is also asked to remove that hair-do. What about his/her responsibility to be submissive to school rules and regulations, and together with other students they will uphold order in the school by obeying rules and regulations. And, by the way, dreadlocks are not part of our indigenous culture, the fashion was imported into the country.
Did I read on social media that a senior journalist alleged that boys can wear earrings to school if they so wished to? This is no joking matter. This journalist does not wear earrings or dreadlocks, and yet, he thinks it will be okay for male pupils and students to start wearing earrings to school – a very bad and irresponsible piece of advice to our youth.
What if male students demand to share dormitories and washrooms with female students because that is what happens in their homes?
Reggie Rockstone needs to answer this question. When he was in Achimota School, why did he not rise up against the rule that exempts Caucasians from cutting their hair? Why did he not wear dreadlocks in school? And did he disobey the rules?
Rules are rules – that is why even though tradition religion membership in Ghana is less than 6% of the population, we are mandated to obey, for example, the ban on noise-making and respect other rites. So if Achimota School states that all Black students must wear their hair low, why should people take offence?
In my opinion, the Ghana Education Service should meet all stakeholders and come up with mandatory rules and regulations to be universally adhered to in all schools. It should take a look at all bye-laws put in place by the individual schools and make sure they conform to the Supreme Law of the country.
Rules and regulations are meant to enhance uniformity, which, in turn, enhances discipline. We should not allow what is happening in the Western nations where full rights are given to children and the youth, which is breeding indiscipline. Rights must come with responsibilities.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Dreadlocks Saga: Universal National Codes in schools needed appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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