Former Kumbungu MP Ras Mubarak has criticized Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu over his stance on enforcing short hair among senior high school students, calling the policy misguided and irrelevant to moral development.
Reacting to the minister’s comments at Mawuli Senior High School’s 75th anniversary, where Haruna Iddrisu stated that long hair would not be tolerated “as long as we are molding character,” Mubarak argued that morality cannot be measured by physical appearance.
In a Facebook post, the former MP questioned the basis of the directive, pointing out that Ghana’s leadership failures stem from issues far deeper than hairstyles.
“How does keeping kids’ hair short stop them from growing to be double-salary takers or corrupt politicians? Schools should be focusing on civics, patriotism, and community service. That’s a more effective way to shape students’ values and behaviours,” he wrote.
Mubarak accused the education system of focusing on surface-level discipline while neglecting the deeper values that build integrity and civic responsibility.
“The Ministry should focus on encouraging kids to take a keen interest in Science and Math through competitions and award programs, improving the well-being of teachers, ensuring proper supervision especially in rural areas, providing safe and conducive learning environments for children, and increasing attention to the teaching of civics,” he added.
Ras Mubarak further stated that true character formation must come from substance, not symbolism, urging the Ministry to redirect its energy toward improving educational quality and relevance rather than policing students’ hair.
See his post below.
