Education Ministry mourns Lawra SHS tragedy, orders urgent probe into drowning of seven students

The Ministry of Education has expressed profound sorrow over the tragic drowning of seven students from Lawra Senior High School, whose lives were lost when a canoe capsized on the Black Volta River on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

In a solemn statement issued Sunday, June 15, and signed by Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, the Ministry confirmed that the victims—five girls and two boys—were among ten cadet corps members participating in a morning jogging exercise when they attempted to cross the river near Dikpe, on the Ghana–Burkina Faso border.

“We share in the grief of the affected families and the entire school community,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this extremely difficult time.”

According to the Ministry, three of the ten students survived the incident, while the remaining seven drowned. The bodies of all the victims have since been recovered by a joint rescue team comprising personnel from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Education Service (GES).

In response to the tragedy, Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu has directed the Director General of the GES to convene an emergency meeting with the Regional and District Directors of Education, as well as the headmaster of Lawra SHS, to investigate the circumstances leading to the fatal incident. A full report is expected as a matter of urgency.

The Ministry reiterated its commitment to ensuring student safety and said it would act decisively once it receives the official report from the Ghana Police Service.

The full statement reads:
June 15, 2025
Ministry of Education Consoles Families of Seven Lawra SHS Students Who Perished in Canoe Accident

"On behalf of the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu and government, I convey our deep shock and sadness to the families of the seven students of Lawra Senior High School who lost their lives in a tragic boat incident on the morning of Saturday, June 15, 2025.

In an unexpected and heartbreaking turn of events, ten students from the school's cadet corps, during a routine morning jogging exercise, reportedly attempted to cross the Black Volta River near Dikpe into Burkina Faso. The canoe they joined tragically capsized midway through the journey.

We have confirmation through the Upper West Regional Minister and the Member of Parliament for Lawra that three of the ten students were rescued while seven drowned. The bodies of the seven students who lost their lives, five girls and two boys, have since been retrieved by teams from National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Education Service.

The Honorable Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu has instructed the Director General of the Ghana Education Service to convene an urgent meeting with the Regional and District Directors of Education and the Headmaster of the school and to report back urgently.

We share in the grief of the affected families and the entire school community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this extremely difficult time. As the Ministry awaits a full report from the Ghana Police Service, we wish to assure Ghanaians that we will continue to do our best to ensure the safety and security of our students.

Signed:
Dr. Clement Abas Apaak
MP and Deputy Minister of Education