The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has declared a zero-tolerance policy towards indiscipline in Senior High Schools (SHSs), assuring school authorities of the government’s full backing to enforce discipline and create safe learning environments.
He said headteachers and other school authorities had the authority and support of the Ministry of Education, President John Dramani Mahama and the State to take decisive action against acts of indiscipline in schools.
“School authorities have no excuse not to implement the directives given by the Ministry. Criminality or criminal conduct should never find space in the school environment and should never be tolerated or accommodated. When that happens, the school environment becomes insecure and unsafe for learning,” he stressed.
Mr Iddrisu made the remarks on Wednesday when he opened a two-day National Conference on Curbing Indiscipline in Senior High Schools in Sunyani in the Bono Region.
The conference, organised by the Ministry of Education, brought together key stakeholders in the education sector, including education administrators, teachers, students, parents, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and development partners.
The participants are expected to examine the causes of indiscipline in SHSs and develop practical and sustainable measures to address the challenge.
The recommendations from the conference will form the basis of a comprehensive policy document to guide the Ministry of Education in developing a coordinated national framework to promote discipline and values-based education.
Mr Iddrisu stressed the need to instil positive Ghanaian values, including punctuality, hard work, honesty, responsibility and integrity, in young people to prepare them to become responsible citizens.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, identified modernisation, inadequate parental involvement and weakening societal support systems as some factors contributing to behavioural challenges among students.
He said parents must demonstrate the values and conduct they expect from their children instead of leaving the responsibility entirely to teachers.
Prof. Davis called for stronger collaboration among parents, schools and other stakeholders to review existing policies, strengthen regulations and develop effective measures to address indiscipline in second-cycle institutions.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Reverend Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, reaffirmed the church’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at restoring discipline in schools.
He said measures to tackle indiscipline must be firm but restorative, expressing the hope that the recommendations from the conference would help transform discipline in the country’s senior high schools.
The conference is expected to contribute to the creation of safer, more disciplined and academically conducive learning environments for students nationwide.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
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