Many schools in Ghana have a discriminatory hair policy that demands that Black African children maintain shortly cropped hair while in school. This rule is not applied to their counterparts who come from other racial groups. For example, White, Indian, Chinese and Lebanese children in many schools in Ghana are allowed to maintain their hair (including long lengths) while Black African students are asked to continue to cut theirs very closely to their scalp. We believe that this practice is one of the many discriminatory and racist cultural leftovers from the colonial era. Our children continue to suffer as a result of this hair policy which was first enforced by European missionaries who set up formal education centres in many parts of the country.

Recently, a brilliant Rastafarian boy, Oheneba Kwaku, was turned away from Achimota, one of Ghana's most prestigious Senior High Schools because of this hair policy. Even though his parents had proof that he has admission to the school, the school insisted that the boy's locks are against their dressing code and therefore, they could not accept him. He was not the only one; another young man suffered the same fate and many children have been denied education in the past due to this.

We want GES to overturn this discriminatory hair policy once and for all. The hair discrimination has gone on for too long and our children, irrespective of their hair type and belief system, deserve equal access to education like any other kid. In our view, colonialism should be over and we do not see why our own people continue to enforce laws that clearly harm and belittle us as equal human beings.

Help us sign this petition. Our children's access to education is at stake.

Thank you.