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Dr Abdul-Muhsin Baafi, an Islamic scholar, has tackled Haruna Iddrisu over his comments regarding Senior High Schools (SHS) haircut rules.
According to the Islamic scholar Haruna Iddrisu, directives on schoolgirls’ haircut policy are haram.
He quizzed the Education Minister what the educational significance does cutting a student’s hair truly have?
The Islamic scholar emphasised that the requirement for girls, particularly Muslim students, to shave their hair directly contradicts Islamic teachings.
Speaking on the issue, Dr Abdul-Muhsin Baafi quizzed, “What educational significance does cutting a student’s hair truly have? How does keeping one’s natural hair hinder learning or academic performance?”
The Islamic scholar refers to religious texts and scholarly opinions which deem it ḥarām (forbidden) for women to shave their heads, excluding for valid medical reasons.
“In Islam, women are honoured and their identities are protected. Muslim girls cover their hair as a symbol of modesty and faith,” he explained.
He added, “In many countries, schoolgirls attend classes with their natural hair, and this has never affected their discipline or academic performance”.
“Education should focus on knowledge, discipline, and character not on enforcing uniformity that contradicts faith and identity.”
His comment comes on the heels of Haruna Iddrisu shutting down a social media debate regarding Senior High School (SHS) students cutting their long hair before reporting to school.
The Education Minister boldly declared, they will not tolerate long hair today or tomorrow in SHS.
He highlighted that if long hairs are accepted in schools, tomorrow it will be shoes the next day the uniforms students wear in SHS.
Speaking to patrons of the 75th anniversary of Mawuli School in the Volta Region, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “There is an ongoing debate on social media about haircuts and the size and length of hair in secondary school.
We will not tolerate it today; we will not tolerate it tomorrow in 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”.
He added, “Therefore, as part of our disciplinary measures, headmasters and GES, you are therefore empowered to take full control of how students behave on your campuses.
Anybody who thinks your child will walk into any institution of learning as if that child forgives my words—were to attend a beauty contest, the school environment is not for that purpose and is not cut for that purpose and will not tolerate that as an institution,” he stated.
Also, the Minister of Education has appealed to parents to cooperate with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enforce the hairstyle rules in Senior High Schools (SHS).
The Education Minister highlighted that the strict directive on approved hairstyles for Senior High School students is aimed at promoting uniformity, discipline and equity among students.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement at the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) in Accra, on Monday, October 27, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “After a certain age, when they get into tertiary institutions, they are free to wear what kind of hairstyle they want, but not at the basic, secondary level.
“Therefore, I demand the cooperation and support of parents for the GES to strictly and religiously enforce this directive”.
“It’s for the purpose of uniformity. And as I indicated, if we give in to hair, tomorrow it will be shoe, the kind of shoe to wear or not to wear,” he said.