The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has firmly stated that senior high schools (SHS) across the country will not permit students to wear long hair, whether natural or styled, on campus.
Addressing the 75th anniversary celebration of Mawuli Senior High School in the Volta Region on Saturday, October 25, Mr. Iddrisu emphasized that the secondary school environment is designed for learning and discipline, not personal fashion or beauty expression.
“We will not tolerate long hair today or tomorrow. Schools are institutions for character formation, not beauty contests,” he said.
The Minister’s remarks come amid a public debate sparked by a viral social media video showing a first-year female student of Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School crying as her mother took her to a barber to cut her long natural hair before admission. The video reignited national discussions about student grooming policies in senior high schools.
According to reports, the girl’s father later confronted the barber for recording and sharing the video without parental consent. The incident has since drawn widespread attention, with many people debating whether such policies are outdated or necessary to maintain discipline.
Mr. Iddrisu, however, maintained that grooming standards are an integral part of school discipline.
“If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes, and the next day, how students dress,” he explained. “Headmasters and the Ghana Education Service are fully empowered to enforce rules that ensure discipline and order in schools.”
He reiterated that institutions of learning exist to nurture discipline, character, and academic excellence, not to accommodate trends or personal preferences
