Social media, digital devices and the weak enforcement of school rules have been identified as key factors contributing to rising indiscipline in schools. To address the growing challenge, stakeholders have called for the development of a national policy to regulate the use of digital devices in schools. Theologian and Professor of Christian-Muslim Relations, Prof. John Azumah, said such a policy should go beyond simply banning devices or punishing students. He advocated teaching young people how to use technology responsibly and productively.
Prof. Azumah made the call while delivering the 12th Annual Public Lecture of the Baraka Policy Institute (BPI), a Muslim-friendly think tank, in Accra last Wednesday. The lecture was held on the theme “Tackling the Rising Indiscipline in SHSs in Ghana: The Role of Effective Character Formation.”
The event brought together key stakeholders in education, including school heads, teachers, religious leaders, representatives of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and students, to deliberate on the growing disciplinary challenges confronting schools. The annual public lecture is organised by the BPI as a platform for education stakeholders and other relevant actors to discuss pressing national development issues, with particular attention to the education sector.
Study
The presentation by Prof. Azumah, who is the Executive Director of the Sanneh Institute, focused on a study he conducted regarding discipline, character formation, and moral education in Ghana’s Senior High Schools (SHSs). The study included approximately 240 schools nationwide, involving both students and teachers, and achieved a response rate of 95.6 percent.
The findings revealed that stealing was the most prevalent disciplinary issue, followed by absenteeism, disrespect for authority, fighting and violence, bullying, sexual misconduct, and substance abuse. Additionally, the study indicated that instances of indiscipline were more common in non-mission schools compared to mission schools.
Enforcement
Prof. Azumah called on school authorities to ensure that disciplinary measures were applied effectively and consistently. He called for greater attention to the work of chaplains and religious educators, saying they must be given refresher training to strengthen their counselling roles. Prof. Azumah added that the changing nature of indiscipline required new approaches, including new tools. He also noted that the growth in student numbers under the Free SHS programme had placed pressure on infrastructure and supervision in some schools.
School boards
Dr. Issahaque Munawaru, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) responsible for Quality and Access, has emphasized the need for proper training of school governing boards to handle disciplinary issues in senior high schools. He noted that boards should be empowered to address serious offences—including withdrawal and dismissal of students—without always seeking approval from the GES Director-General.
Explaining the disciplinary framework, Dr. Munawaru said sanctions range from minor punishments and suspensions to indefinite suspension, withdrawal, and dismissal. He also raised concerns about how religious matters are managed in mission schools, urging fairness in the application of practices.
Highlighting Ghana’s secular status, he called on stakeholders to ensure students are treated equitably regardless of their faith. He further stressed that school policies and decisions must align with the 1992 Constitution.
Support
The Greater Accra Regional Director of the GES, Hajia Katumi Natogmah Attah, said her outfit was ready to support practical interventions to address indiscipline in SHSs. She said character formation was an integral part of developing the entity of a learner to achieve quality education, adding that “if we strengthen a character today, we secure the character of our nation tomorrow”.
