Just In: Rastafarian Students Win Case Against Achimota School, Ordered To Admit Students

The Accra High Court has ordered Achimota School to admit the two Rastafarian students.

The Human Rights Division of the High Court presided over Justice Gifty Agyei Addo ruled that the fundamental human rights of two students cannot be limited by the rules in question.

The issue which caught public attention on the need for a national guideline for senior high schools, and eventually ended up in court after the two students filed their cases individually.

Nana Kwaku Nkrabea and Tyron Marhguy, were both denied admission into Achimota School though they had qualified and were duly placed there through the computerized school selection and placement system.

The School however scrapped claims, arguing that the students never returned their forms which had their acceptance of admission.

In the suit, the applicants asked 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)”.

The students also wanted “an order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enroll the applicant to continue with his education unhindered.”

The applicants also sought compensation for the “inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time, and violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms”.