A RASTAFARIAN student who was denied admission to a top school in Ghana for refusing to cut his locks has passed all his exams.

Tyrone Iras Marghuy was one of two students who in March 2021, were told by the Achimota School they would only be allowed at the school if they cut their locks.

The two students, Tyrone Iras Marghuy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, took action against the school through their parents at an Accra High Court.

On May 31 2021, a High Court ruling directed the school to admit the Rastafarian students.

Now two years on Tyrone, a student at the same school, has passed all of his West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). He has achieved A-grades in eight subjects, including Mathematics, English, Chemistry and Physics.

Celebrating his impressive results, he took to X formerly known as Twitter and wrote: “Odds against odds. 8As bagged!! We did it family; we made it!”

Celebrate

The aspiring engineer was congratulated by Ghanaian Afrobeats superstar Stonebwoy. The star offered him 10 VIP tickets to his up and coming concert on Friday at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Stonebwoy wrote: “Congratulations, This Continues to Defy The Odds That All Rastas Are Up To No Good.

“10 VIP tickets for you and your friends.

“Let’s celebrate on Friday at the Stadium.”

In 2021, The Voice was told the case was bought to the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court, after the parents and other members of the Rastafari community in Ghana got together to take collective action.

The students told the court that their hair was part of their religious beliefs, culture and spirituality.

Beliefs

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 enrol the applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterised 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 stated they wanted an order to be directed to the school to “immediately admit or enrol the applicant to continue with his education unhindered.”

They added that they were seeking compensation for the “inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time, and violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms”.

Both Tyrone and Oheneba, sued the school’s Board of Governors, Ghana Education Service, the Minister of Education and the Attorney General for a breach of their fundamental Human Rights.

Justice Gifty Agyei Addo ruled that the fundamental human rights of the two students could not be limited by the rules of the Achimota School. She said: “I am unable to see the disadvantage to the school community in allowing the applicant to keep their dreadlocks.”

The judge went on to say the school had not demonstrated to the court how the applicants keeping their locks would affect them or other students. She went on to say it was in contradiction of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

The school said by admitting the students it would open up more cases of students wanting to wear their hair in locks.

Rastafari

In jubilant scenes outside the court at the time, members of the Rastafari community prayed and hugged each other and some shouted “Jah Rastafari”.

The Rastafari Movement is a religious, spiritual and cultural way of life, which started in Jamaica during the 1930s. The movement has since grown and now Rasta communities can be found in most countries.

The ruling has been described as a historic moment for the Rasta community, who have faced discrimination around the world for a number of years despite the movement’s growth.

According to the Rastafarian Council of Ghana, the ruling to admit the students was  the “perfect judgement.”

Congratulations Tyrone, on passing your exams!