Break away from Colonial mindsets – CNN Field Producer tells school authorities

Source: Lois Dogbe
Field Producer for CNN, Christopher Lett
Field Producer for CNN, Christopher Lett has described Achimota School’s disposition towards Rastafarianism as stemming from inability to break away from colonial mentality.

The Producer said many schools in Ghana, including Achimota School, are still enforcing laws that have outlived their relevance.

“I guarantee you the hair is not the issue that matters on a large scale,” Mr Lett made this disclosure to JoyNews’ Evans Mensah on ‘Ghana Connect‘. The discussion focused on whether the court ruling that compelled Achimota School to admit Rastafarian boys would have any effect on teaching and learning in the School.

His comment comes at the back of Achimota School admitting two rastafarian young boys; Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea to study General Science and General Arts respectively.

The two young men are currently partarking in the school’s end-of-term examination with hopes of excelling altough they missed out on the entire term.
“Many schools including Achimota, I know that there is a lot of respect, a lot of people like to shout out this SHS in Ghana but you have to understand where the origin of these Institutions.

“Look at the root of the situation, not just the root of our hair. The root of the situation is the way we are told to fit in and have standards and have morals, we have to look at the context.

“A lot of them come from the colonies of Britain and beyond,” he said.

He explained that the colonisers instituted these laws in schools among others, to serve as ‘modes of control to create division and to create strive in the country’ to distract Africans from the issues that matter.

However, he has urged authorities of Achimota School to question themselves on “whose standards, cultural norms and morals” they are trying to uphold currently and be open-minded to discussions on review of school laws.

He advised that instead of focusing on frivolous things such as hair, and tearing down the self-esteem of young people, academic institutions must teach students how to appreciate their ‘own history’

“What matters is our kids being taught their own history, are they being taught traits that can build up the country, are they being taught ways to implement modes of learning that empowers them and not tear down their self-esteem?” he asked.

EDITED BY: Ahafonews