Hair policy in SHSs is about hygiene and safety, not discipline – Adutwum.

Hair policy in SHSs is about hygiene and safety, not discipline–Adutwum.

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called for a more balanced and thoughtful approach to regulating students’ hair in senior high schools, stressing that such policies should be anchored in hygiene and safety rather than discipline. 

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Dr. Adutwum argued that rules on hair length must be informed by sound reasoning and concern for students’ overall well-being, not by an urge to exert control.

“We sometimes think we are the adults and they are the children, so we force certain decisions on them without proper engagement,” he noted. “We see it as discipline, but in reality, the hair issue is about hygiene and safety.”

Referencing the landmark Achimota School–Tyrone Marhguy case, Dr. Adutwum underscored the importance of fairness and sensitivity in the enforcement of school policies. He clarified that the original intent behind haircut regulations was to maintain cleanliness and help students stay focused on their studies, rather than to impose punishment. “When schools make rules that students must cut their hair, it’s not about discipline. It’s because not everyone has the luxury to keep their hair neat all the time,” he explained.

Drawing from his international experience in education, Dr. Adutwum observed that many schools abroad allow students to keep long hair provided they adhere to safety protocols. “In my schools abroad, people come with long hair, but we have put measures in place to avoid injury during P.E. So we tell parents to either cut the length of the hair or tie it in a ponytail, and they always understand,” he said.

He urged Ghanaian schools to adopt a more flexible and inclusive approach that promotes open communication between teachers, parents, and students. “We can make the children understand the issues because keeping long or short hair is not about discipline but hygiene and safety,” he emphasized. Dr. Adutwum further advised schools to make reasonable accommodations for students whose parents raise religious or cultural objections, noting, “If parents give valid reasons, their child’s hair cannot be cut; any court will rule in their favour.”

Concluding his remarks, Dr. Adutwum called on education authorities to design policies grounded in rational, health-based principles rather than rigid conformity. “We must let the children understand it’s for their own good, not just a disciplinary measure,” he affirmed.