GES Raises Alarm Over Tattoos Among Students

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has raised an alarm over more students getting tattoos, lots of piercings, and bleaching their skin.

This is making GES really concerned. In the usual visit to schools, GES observed some students who had bleached their skin so much that it was peeling off and smelled bad. They also noticed some students with many piercings in their ears.

Because of this, the GES has decided to update the rules for students. They’ve sent out new rules to schools and put them online. These rules say that students can’t do things like get tattoos, have lots of piercings, or bleach their skin. They hope these new rules will help make sure students can focus on learning.

The Code explicitly prohibits skin bleaching among students, viewing it as detrimental to their well-being. This measure is aimed at discouraging unhealthy beauty practices and fostering a positive body image.

Depending on the gravity of the offence:

• Caution and Counselling
• Manual work
• Demotion for prefects
• Two weeks internal suspension

The updated code has been distributed to all Directors of Education in metropolitan, municipal, and district areas, as well as education unit managers and school heads for immediate implementation. A circular from Deputy Director General (MS), Stephen Kwaku Owusu, dated January 4, 2024, emphasizes management’s expectation for strict adherence to the code to support schools in achieving their primary goal of providing inclusive, quality, and relevant education to all Ghanaian children.

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Other Items Captured In The Code Of Conduct

1. Dress Code
Students are required to dress neatly, adhering to prescribed attire and footwear consistently. Alterations to school uniforms or dress are strictly prohibited.

2. Accessories Restrictions
The regulations extend to various accessories such as chains, bangles, caps, and braces. Spectacles are allowed only with a valid medical prescription.

3. Personal Grooming Guidelines
The guidelines emphasize the importance of maintaining a decent haircut as defined by school authorities. Clean, neat, and modest hair is encouraged, with an emphasis on avoiding extreme styles and colors.

4. Beard and Shaving Standards
Male students are expected to have a neatly styled haircut and a clean-shaven beard. This contributes to the overall grooming standards set by the educational institutions.

5. Sanctions for Violations
The prescribed guidelines for sanctions include the confiscation of bleaching cream and other prescribed items, facing a disciplinary committee, and signing a bond. Sanctions for improper dressing offenses include caution and counseling, manual work, demotion for prefects, two weeks internal suspension, and shaving of beards or sideburns under the supervision of a housemaster.

6. Overall Educational Environment
The GES’s harmonized Code of Conduct serves as a guide and reference material, aiming to promote and maintain discipline at the pre-tertiary level of education while adhering to general rules and directives. This move reflects a broader commitment to instilling discipline and uniformity in the educational environment, emphasizing the role of appropriate appearance and grooming standards in fostering a conducive learning atmosphere.

These regulations cover a wide range of aspects, from skin bleaching to dress code and grooming standards, all with the overarching goal of creating a disciplined and conducive learning environment for students in Second Cycle institutions.

Meanwhile, a former president, John Mahama, has promised to fix big problems in education if he gets elected again. He thinks the current government hasn’t done a good job with important school programs like free SHS and NHIS. So, he wants to make things better if he gets the chance.