The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced a major policy shift regarding student discipline, signaling that Senior High School (SHS) students who engage in extreme acts of misconduct could soon face criminal prosecution.
Deputy Director-General of the GES, Professor Smile Dzisi, revealed that while parents may be held liable in certain cases, students who cause significant destruction to school property or commit severe offenses will be referred to the state’s criminal justice system.
This move comes as the Service grows increasingly concerned about the rising tide of indiscipline in second-cycle institutions.
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“SHS students caught will be severely punished. Or any staff that will be caught condoning such actions will be severely punished. It’s important to agree on the way forward,” Prof. Dzisi stated during the 86th-anniversary celebration of Odorgonno Senior High School.
To tackle the root causes of this trend, the GES is organizing a national stakeholder engagement in Sunyani next week.
The meeting aims to identify the drivers of student misconduct and develop comprehensive strategies to curb the behavior, ensuring that negative headlines regarding the education sector do not overshadow Ghana tourism promotion and other national development goals.
In a related development, authorities at Odorgonno Senior High School have made an urgent appeal for support to address critical infrastructure deficits. The school is currently operating its science laboratory out of the dining hall, a temporary measure that has led to frequent breakage of expensive equipment and severely hampered practical lessons. Visual arts students are also facing challenges due to the absence of a dedicated practical centre.
Headmaster Patrick Mensah is calling on stakeholders, organizations, and well-meaning individuals to come forward and assist the school in bridging these infrastructural gaps to ensure quality education.
CNR