"Why Can a White Kid Keep Their Hair, But Not a Black Kid?": Wode Maya Calls Out Hair Discrimination
- Award-winning Ghanaian YouTuber Wode Maya has weighed in on the Senior High School hair policy in Ghana
- The content creator questioned the Ghana Education Service on the hair policy rules for foreign students
- Some social media users have shared mixed reactions after Wode Maya shared his candid opinions on the X platform
Ghanaian YouTuber and award-winning content creator Wode Maya has added his voice to the ongoing debate surrounding the Ghana Education Service (GES) Senior High School hair policy.
In an intriguing post on the X platform, Wode Maya sparked widespread conversation online, raising concerns about the fairness of the policy.
Source: Instagram
Wode claims GES bias over hair policy
Digital media influencer Berthold Kobby Winkler Ackon, popularly known as Wode Maya, has called out Ghanaian authorities for what he sees as unequal treatment regarding the hair policies in senior high schools.
Wode Maya pointed out that local and foreign students are treated differently in Ghanaian schools when it comes to the type of hairstyle they are allowed to maintain.
In a post on X on October 28, 2025, Wode Maya expressed his dissatisfaction with what he described as a "double standard," questioning why "Black" students are often required to cut their long hair, while "White" students are allowed to keep theirs.
Wode Maya's X post is below:
Reactions to Wode Maya's SHS haircuts opinion
Some social media users have shared mixed reactions under Wode Maya's controversial post on the X platform. YEN.com.gh has compiled some reactions below:
@LKayleb stated:
"A white kid wakes up, takes a shower and brushes her hair, and they are good to go. Some don’t need to even apply cream, unlike ours, where we need time to groom. Not to say our kinky hair is bad, but the amount of time needed to groom it can be time-consuming."
@AkyemKakape stated:
"Your arguments don’t make sense. We have both foreign and Ghanaian students. If a student is Ghanaian and began their education here, they should respect our traditions. It’s a different case for a foreign student who studied in their own country and is only coming to Africa."
@noble_oheneba stated:
"Ah, how many white kids did you see in your high school? Are there many white kids in Ghanaian high schools that we don’t see or what?."
@FillaOnTheMic stated:
"Most people couldn’t even pay their school fees, yet you think some can actually afford to change hairstyles and braids?."
@Genalpha00 stated:
"I respect you so much but let’s look at the chaos the whole community is causing in America and the world as a whole once you give room for one thing, another will follow. Today, it is hair tomorrow it is uniform and also have in mind that our natural hair isn’t soft and long."
@TesiaBorngreat stated:
"The hairstyle prescribed for HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS is to guide these children to remain uniform to discourage an inferiority complex. Uniformity isn't only tied to attire. DON'T spread falsehood as if our tertiary schools don't allow persons, including men, to wear whatever hair."
Source: Instagram
YAGSHS student weeps after trimming long hair
Wode Maya's post followed an emotional video that went viral, showing a first-year student at Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School (YAGSHS) being dragged to the barber's shop to have her long hair trimmed.
The young girl, visibly distressed, could not stop crying as the barber trimmed her hair, exposing her scalp in the video.
After the haircut, the student, still in her customised school uniform, was seen without a smile for the camera, her emotions evident.
The X video is below:
Haruna Iddrisu speaks on SHS hair policy
At the Mawuli Senior High School's 75th anniversary celebration in the Volta Region on October 25, 2025, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu addressed the matter, stating that officials were not ready to allow students to maintain long hair in senior high schools.
"Educational institutions were not meant to be beauty platforms," the minister remarked.
He further emphasised, "Education authorities are not going to tolerate any long hair today or tomorrow," reinforcing the government's stance on the policy."
The Facebook video is below:
Lydia Forson addresses YAGSHS over hair rules
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson, who criticised Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Senior High School administrators for adhering to "archaic" regulations.
On the X platform, the vocal influencer defended the idea that young girls should maintain their natural haircut while attending school.
Lydia Forson received praise from certain social media users for expressing her opinions on the hot topic.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
