Parents, students can go to court over unfair hairstyle rules- EduWatch
27th October 2025
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare, has encouraged students and parents to pursue legal action if they believe they are being unfairly treated under the new hairstyle directive issued by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
His comments follow the Minister’s recent instruction to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of second-cycle institutions to take full responsibility for regulating student conduct, including grooming and appearance.
Speaking at the 75th anniversary celebration of Mawuli Senior High School, Mr. Iddrisu addressed growing debate over hairstyle restrictions in schools, stressing that educational institutions are meant to instill discipline and character, not to serve as “beauty contests.”
In an interview on Channel One Newsroom with Charles Owusu Kumi on Sunday, October 26, Mr. Asare acknowledged that while the Minister’s directive seeks to promote uniformity and hygiene among students, it must also respect individual rights.
“It’s not always about indiscipline or discipline. I align with the law, and I encourage anyone who feels unfairly treated to engage the law. Society grows and so should the law grow,” he said.
Mr. Asare argued that discipline in schools must go hand in hand with fairness, inclusivity, and respect for personal dignity. He cited the case of Tyrone Iras Marhguy, the former Achimota School student who was denied admission in 2021 due to his dreadlocks but later won his case in court.
“Marhguy argued that maintaining his Rasta was linked to his belief in Rastafarianism. And that denying him admission based on Rasta meant that his rights to religion and culture were being impugned on account of the school regulations…It was necessary for him to be allowed to manifest his religion by wearing his hair, which he related directly to his belief in Rastafarianism, and the court upheld that.
Mr. Asare said the Marhguy ruling established a clear legal precedent that balances institutional regulations with constitutional freedoms. He noted that any future disputes over hairstyles in schools should therefore be resolved within the framework of the law.