Attempts to scrap boarding school system will hinder inter-ethnic unity — Larry Dogbe

The Managing Editor of The Herald Newspaper, Larry Dogbe, has cautioned that moves to phase out or limit Ghana’s boarding school system could weaken national cohesion and inter-ethnic unity.

His comments follow remarks by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu that Junior High School students may soon be required to select senior high schools within their districts.

Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily show on Tuesday, May 5, Mr Dogbe argued that the boarding system was deliberately designed to promote social integration across ethnic lines.

He said the policy, introduced under Ghana’s early post-independence education reforms, has helped foster unity among students from different regions.

“And that has helped. The Minister of Education is telling us that you would have to select a school which is within your district. Okay, there was a reason why Kwame Nkrumah built the boarding house system that we should mingle and then, you know, interrelate with one another better,” he said.

Mr Dogbe explained that the exposure students gain in boarding schools contributes to long-term relationships and national cohesion, which he believes should not be undermined.

The journalist further argued that restricting school selection to districts could reverse gains made in promoting unity and mutual understanding.

“We are from a very diverse, you know, multi-ethnic country… let’s interrelate better. This approach, I doubt whether is good enough for the country,” he noted.

He also noted that the system has helped reduce conflict tendencies by encouraging students from different backgrounds to live and learn together.