We will not tolerate long hair, schools are not beauty contests – Education Minister
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of second-cycle institutions to enforce discipline and maintain control over student behaviour across all campuses.
Speaking at the 75th Anniversary celebration of Mawuli Senior High School in the Volta Region, the Minister addressed the growing public debate over students’ hairstyles and grooming standards, which has recently sparked heated discussions on social media.
Mr Iddrisu emphasised that secondary schools are institutions for character formation, not fashion displays.
“There is an ongoing debate on social media about haircuts and the size and length of hair in secondary schools. We will not tolerate it today, nor will we tolerate it tomorrow, so long as we are moulding character.
“If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes, and the next day it will be the way they dress. Therefore, as part of our disciplinary measures, headmasters and the GES are empowered to take full control of how students behave on your campuses. Schools are not beauty contests, and we will not allow them to become such,” he said.
The Minister also called on teachers to uphold fairness and professionalism while enforcing school rules, warning that any form of abuse or misconduct towards students would not be tolerated.
“We will not tolerate indiscipline in our schools, including cases where teachers abuse learners. Any teacher found taking advantage of a student will face strict sanctions,” he cautioned.
