The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has shut down calls for female Senior High School (SHS) students to be allowed to wear their natural long hair on campus.

Speaking at the 75th anniversary celebration of Mawuli Senior High School in the Volta Region on Saturday, October 25, he emphasized that the secondary school environment was not a place for beauty contests to entertain such practices.

“There is an ongoing debate about hair cuts, and size and length of hair in secondary schools.We will not tolerate it today or we will not tolerate it tomorrow, in so long as molding character.

“If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes, and the next day it will be the way they [students] dress.Therefore, as part of our disciplinary measures, headmasters and GES, you are accordingly empowered to take full control of how students behave on your campuses.”

“So anybody who thinks that your child will walk into any institution of learning, as if that child, forgive my words, was to attend a beauty contest, the school environment will not for that purpose and not cut for that purpose and we will not tolerate that as an institution,” the minister stated.

A recent video circulating on social media shows a first-year female student looking unhappy while having her hair cut in a barbershop as part of preparations to begin school. Dressed in a Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School uniform, she appeared visibly displeased as her long hair was trimmed.

Following the video, scores of Ghanaians have called on the government to scrap what they describe as a “barbaric” act, arguing that a student’s hair length does not determine academic success. Others, however, believe that allowing students to wear long hair to school could distract them from their studies.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education has instructed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to fully implement the use of mother tongue as a medium of communication in Ghanaian schools.

The Minister mentioned that the directive constitutes efforts to reform the education sector, while championing the use of local languages in teaching and learning.

Speaking at the launch of the Free Tertiary Education Programme for Persons Living with Disabilities, Mr. Iddrisu stressed that the directive will enhance comprehension and learning outcomes in basic schools.

“I am directing the DG of the GES and the GES that from today, teacher use of mother tongue instruction is now compulsory in all Ghanaian schools. The GES is to ensure strict enforcement of this…This is part of President Mahama’s reset agenda,” the Minister firmly stated.

In 2023, Ghanaian historian, Nana Osei-Bonsu Sarfo-Kantanka called on managers of educational institutions across the country to desist from punishing students who speak local languages while in school.

He said they should be encouraged to speak the local languages to better understand the culture and heritage of the country.

The historian attributed his point to the fact that some foreign countries prioritise their local languages, thereby requiring that a person upon arrival in the country speak and understand the language.

Speaking to KMJ on Prime Morning, he said, “If you go to school, it is written ‘Speak English.’ If you spoke the local dialect, you would be spanked. All these things must be removed.”

“If you go to India, you have to learn Hindi to be able to study at the university. Why can’t we learn from them?” He quizzed.

Despite the fact that English is an international language that cannot be abolished, Nana Osei-Bonsu opined that it could be blended with the local languages so as to activate the country’s heritage.

He also believes that the Ghanaian languages are likely to fade out as generations pass, if parents do not insist on speaking the local dialects with their children.

Nana Osei-Bonsu encouraged people to make efforts and speak their local languages at all levels to maintain the cultural heritage of the country and its relevance.

“Even if just twenty people are speaking the language, it should be encouraged at all levels. If we’re able to do that, gradually ours will take over the so-called international language.” In our houses, parents should be serious and speak our local languages with their children,” he entreated.

The country celebrates Ghana throughout the month of March every year to commemorate her Independence. The historian thinks that people’s enthusiasm for the celebration is depleting as the years evolve.

He believes people’s interest is dwindling because most designers in recent times are adding foreign products to their designs.

The historian also indicated that opinion leaders can be blamed for the low interest of the people as they have failed to insist on the involvement of local languages in the school curricula.

As to whether the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah would have maintained the country’s heritage if he were alive, Nana Osei-Bonsu said, “Who knows that he would have kept doing what he was doing because politicians are dictated to.”

However, Ghanaians are encouraged to project the culture globally by wearing locally made designs, eating Ghanaian food, and speaking the local languages among others, throughout the month of March.

Earlier this year, Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya North, Frank Yeboah, urged Ghanaians to protect and preserve their indigenous languages.

According to him, the country's indigenous languages play a crucial role in national identity and cultural heritage.

He made this statement on during the commemoration of the International Day of Mother Language in February.

Addressing Parliament, he urged all citizens to recognise the value of their native tongues and take proactive steps to safeguard them.

Mr Yeboah highlighted the importance of community-driven efforts in language preservation, stressing that initiatives such as storytelling, oral history documentation, and intergenerational language transmission programmes must be actively promoted.

He encouraged schools, traditional authorities, and cultural institutions to collaborate in ensuring that local languages remain relevant in contemporary Ghanaian society.

“Mr Speaker, we cannot afford to lose our indigenous languages, for in them lies the heart and soul of our identity as Ghanaians,” he stated.

“Let us act now to protect and promote them, ensuring that future generations inherit not just the words, but the history, values, and wisdom they carry.”

He further called on policymakers to incorporate indigenous language education into the national curriculum and promote its usage in public and private sectors.

The MP also emphasised the need for media platforms to dedicate more airtime to local languages, ensuring that they remain widely spoken and appreciated.

He concluded by urging all Ghanaians to take pride in their linguistic heritage, noting that preserving mother languages is not merely about communication but about protecting a rich legacy of knowledge and identity.