Government working to address increasing acts of indiscipline in SHSs — Deputy Education Minister

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, says the government is actively working to address increasing acts of indiscipline in Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country.

He noted that the Ministry of Education, under Haruna Iddrisu, has introduced measures including authorizing school authorities to conduct searches on students and restoring the full roles of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to help curb the trend.

“The Hon. Minister of Education has, through the Ghana Education Service [GES], permitted school management to conduct student searches—something not allowed under the previous government. In addition, PTAs have been restored to their pre-2017 roles. These are just two of many other policies in the pipeline,” Dr. Apaak stated in a post on Friday, May 23.

He further indicated that the Minister of Education has directed the Director-General of GES to work with the GES Council to implement urgent interventions while broader reforms from the National Education Forum are also being pursued.

Dr. Apaak also pointed to recent incidents of violence and misconduct involving SHS students as alarming and a clear sign that the Free SHS policy must be reviewed to improve its effectiveness and sustainability.

“What is happening in our secondary schools clearly justifies our campaign promise to review the implementation of the Free Senior High School [FSHS] Programme as a basis to improve and sustain it,” he wrote.

In recent months, several schools have recorded disturbing incidents. At Adventist SHS in Bantama, Ashanti Region, a second-year student, Suzy Adwoa Pinamang, sustained serious facial injuries after allegedly being shot by a fellow student.

Earlier in February, a locally manufactured pistol was seized from one of 20 students arrested during a violent clash at Salaga SHS.

Again, on May 14, a 16-year-old second-year student of Osei Kyeretwie SHS (OKESS) was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm during a routine dormitory inspection.