Achimota School Board can't act unilaterally on Rastas ruling - Education Minister

The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum says the Board of Achimota School does not have the power to unilaterally decide to appeal a ruling of the Human Rights Court ordering the school to admit two Rastafarian students.

According to him, any such important decision should have been advised by the Attorney General who represented both the school and the ministry in the landmark case.

Commenting on the development on the Good Evening Ghana television show on Metro TV Tuesday night, Dr Osei Adutwum asked the Board of Achimota School not to go ahead with the appeal.

“I am very surprised, the Board cannot take that unilateral position to go back to court”, Dr Adutwum said.

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“…Who’s the Attorney General? He acts on behalf of the government of Ghana, he’s the one that should say Minister of Education let’s sit down, where do we go from here. So nobody can preempt us.

“…Achimota School Board chill… They should understand that they act at the behest of the Ghana Education Service under their rules and guidance and the Board is constituted by the Minister of Education. I’m waiting for the Attorney General to get the certified copy of the ruling, to explain to me what the basis is and what I need to do as the Minister for Education and what the Ghana Education Service needs to do through the Director-General of Ghana Education Service.”

The Minister added that he will be meeting with the Headmistress and Board of Achimota School on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, to deliberate over the matter.

His pronouncement came hours after the Board in a June 1 statement, said it disagreed with the May 31 ruling of the Human Rights Court in Accra and was going to appeal.

“The Governing Board of Achimota School was represented in court yesterday, 31st May, 2021 and has learned from the outcome of the case brought against it by two persons who had earlier applied to be admitted to the school.

“The court ruled that the religious rights of the two applicants had been violated by the school management as they sought to enforce the time-tested and well-known rules of the school.

“The court further directed the school to admit the two applicants. The school board disagrees with the ruling of the court. The school board has therefore directed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling.”