Dr Chinery-Hesse Reflects on Colonial-Era Hardships Amid SHS Haircut Debate: "We Walked Barefoot"
- Dr Mary Chinery-Hesse explained why the colonial-era students were not allowed to wear shoes to school
- She shared how this policy caused discomfort, with students attending school barefoot
- Dr Chinery-Hesse urged the younger generation to learn about Ghana's past and appreciate the progress made
Dr Mary Chinery-Hesse, the esteemed Chancellor of the University of Ghana, has shed light on a lesser-known aspect of educational practices during the colonial era.
Source: Instagram
In an interview with Sporty FM, Dr Mary Chinery-Hesse explained how she and her colleagues during the colonial era were not allowed to wear shoes to school.
According to her, the reason for such a rule by the colonial masters was to enforce a level of uniformity, as not all families could afford footwear for their children.
The disclosure came during a discussion about the challenges faced by students in colonial times. Dr. Chinery-Hesse, drawing from her own experiences, explained,
"The colonial people would not allow us even to wear shoes to school. What they said was since everybody cannot afford it, nobody should wear it. So we were all barefooted."
This uniformity, however, came at the expense of basic comforts and dignity, as students were forced to attend school with leg pains and discomfort in the leg region at all times.
Dr. Chinery-Hesse used this anecdote to challenge the younger generation to learn about the nation's past to fully appreciate the progress Ghana has made.
She advocated for a shift away from a narrative of self-blame and inadequacy, urging Ghanaians to recognise their collective achievements and "hit their own chest" with pride.
SHS first-year student weeps over trimmed hair
Dr Chinery's statement comes amid the outcry of many Ghanaians to put an end to Senior High School female students trimming their hair.
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that an SHS student was captured visibly upset after she went through a mandatory haircut before she resumed her school as a freshman.
Source: Twitter
In the video spotted by YEN.com.gh, the Ghanaian student appeared sad and was in tears as she went to the salon to get her hair trimmed.
According to a report, the young lady was posted to Yaa Asantewaa Girls' Senior High School (YAGSHS) in Tanoso, Kumasi, Ghana. The school was named after the historical Ashanti Queen Mother, Nana Yaa Asantewaa.
Watch the video of Dr Chinery talking about times when she and her colleagues walked barefoot, below:
Damilola Yakubu, a Nigerian class teacher at Private Kings' Primary school weighed in on the issue of cutting of hairs in Ghana.
In his words:
"I am actually glad this is not compulsory in Nigeria. With our little rebellious attitude, such a degree of going on low cut will not stand. I would say that the Ghanaian government should be lenient, and instead of sticking to the old ways, John Mahama should embrace the new."
Reactions to Chinery's historical school dressing tale
YEN.com.gh collected reactions from Ghanaians who watched the video on X. Some of the comments are below.
@KwesiBrewHammo1 said:
"Unfortunately, she was a privileged child because her dad was Lawyer R.S.K. Blay."
@ReaganAkowuah wrote:
"Very true. My dad has a picture from those days where he and the headmaster were the only ones wearing shoes."
@african0boy commented:
"This explains the dogma that not every girl can afford braids, so they should trim their hair. We've truly come a long way, but we still have a long, long way ahead."
Krobo Girls' Form 1 student trims hair
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that a first-year student of Krobo Girls' SHS went viral on TikTok after expressing her excitement about joining the school.
The video showed her happily wearing her checkered uniform with neatly plaited cornrows, and netizens were amazed when the school allowed her to attend with the hairstyle.
However, the joy was short-lived as another video showcased the student at a salon, getting her cornrows loosened into a natural afro and trimmed.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
