No hairstyles or long hair in schools – Education Minister declares

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu Directs Ban on Long Hair and Elaborate Hairstyles in Schools

Ghana’s Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has issued a strong directive to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of senior high schools: long hairstyles and elaborate grooming are no longer acceptable in second-cycle institutions. The announcement came during the 75th anniversary celebrations of Mawuli School in the Volta Region on October 26 2025, where the minister warned that schools are not places for fashion shows but for building character.

“There is an ongoing debate on social media about haircuts and the size and length of hair in Secondary Schools. We’ll not tolerate today, we’ll not tolerate it tomorrow, in so long as we are moulding character,” the minister declared. “If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes and the next day it will be the way they dress. Therefore, empower headmasters and the GES to take full control of how students behave on your campuses.”

Mr Iddrisu emphasised that beyond the hair policy, the ministry expects teachers and school authorities to enforce rules fairly and professionally. He issued a stern warning that any teacher found abusing learners in the course of enforcing these standards will face strict sanctions.

The directive marks an explicit reversal of what many saw as relaxed grooming standards in recent years. According to the minister, the move is designed to reinforce discipline, focus, and equality in schools, and to prevent grooming and appearance becoming distractions from learning.

In practice, the new policy will require senior high school students to maintain haircuts of a modest length and avoid any style considered extreme or decorative. Elaborate braids, dyed hair, and extensions that give a dramatic appearance will likely face restriction, even if official guidelines are still being developed.

Reaction across stakeholders has been mixed. Some education officials and parents have welcomed the move as a way to restore order and discipline in schools, aligning appearance standards with academic rigour. Others, however, are deeply concerned about students’ rights, cultural expression, and gender equity.

A commentary published by the news site ModernGhana points out the risk of discriminatory implementation, particularly if policies apply differently to girls and boys. The article notes that banning long hairstyles for female students while allowing boys to maintain theirs may reinforce gender bias and stifle personal expression. The piece also highlights longstanding debates in Ghanaian schools around dreadlocks, religious hair styles and the cultural significance of hair length—especially for Black students.

Critics argue that hair and grooming guidelines have historically been applied unevenly and sometimes harshly. One cited case involved a student admitted to Achimota School who was denied enrollment on account of dreadlocks associated with his religious faith, sparking a court ruling that found the student’s rights had been violated.

The current policy raises questions about how it will accommodate cultural nuance, religious practices, and individual identity while still promoting order and discipline. It also prompts discussion about how schools balance rules with inclusivity and respect for diversity.

In response to concerns about uneven enforcement, the minister assured that teachers must apply the rules fairly and that any abuse of power by teachers against students would be sanctioned. “We will not tolerate indiscipline in our schools, including cases where teachers abuse learners,” he said.

Parents and student bodies are calling for clear implementation guidelines. They want to understand exactly what constitutes an unacceptable hairstyle, how cultural hair practices will be treated, and whether dyed or coloured hair will be categorically banned. They are also seeking clarity on how the policy will be communicated and enforced fairly across schools with different cultural and religious populations.

From the ministry’s perspective, hair policies are part of a broader push to restore discipline and focus in senior high schools—which have in recent years experienced spikes in tardiness, dress code violations, and general indiscipline. The minister stated that grooming breaches are symptomatic of deeper behavioural issues and that appearance regulations can serve as a starting point for re-establishing standards of conduct.

Observers note the directive must now be backed by robust implementation strategies. These include teacher training in fair discipline, clear communication of rules to students and parents, development of acceptable hairstyle policy documents, and monitoring to prevent discriminatory application. Without those safeguards, the policy risks being cast as authoritarian or culturally insensitive rather than constructive.

The directive’s timing also overlaps with broader education reforms, including roll-outs of local language instruction, curriculum updates, and infrastructure improvements. Schools, administrators and parents will need to manage multiple changes simultaneously. While hair policy may seem a smaller issue relative to major reform initiatives, it carries high visibility and has strong implications for student wellbeing, identity and equality.

Ultimately, the success of this directive will depend less on what is written and more on how it is applied. If students feel targeted or singled out, the policy may breed resentment and undermine trust between students, teachers and the state. Conversely, if applied transparently, consistently, and sensitively, it has the potential to restore standards of discipline and focus without sacrificing students’ dignity or cultural identity.

As the 2025-26 academic year proceeds under this new guideline, all eyes will be on Ghanaian senior high schools to see how the directive translates into classroom reality and whether it contributes positively to behaviour, performance and school culture.

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