Accra: Lawyer and energy expert, Lom-Nuku Ahlijah, has warned that declining supervision in Ghanaian schools is fueling indiscipline on campuses. He linked the trend to overcrowding and underinvestment in education.
According to Ghana Web, Ahlijah made these remarks during an appearance on "The AM Show" on JoyNews on May 25, 2026. He highlighted that the rising teacher-to-student ratios, especially since the implementation of the Free SHS policy, have made it increasingly challenging to monitor students effectively. Ahlijah stated, 'Supervision is less than it used to be, and it is a fact we cannot run away from. That is the reality on many school campuses. Supervision is not what it used to be.'
His comments follow the arrest of four students at Ada Senior High Technical School after a viral video showed one of them wielding a cutlass and threatening another student. Ahlijah argued that while Free SHS has widened access to education, it has not been matched with enough teachers and infrastructure. 'There has not necessarily been the corresponding investment in more teachers and more infrastructure,' he noted.
Ahlijah emphasized that parents must not rely solely on teachers for discipline, as the growing number of students makes individual attention nearly impossible. 'The primary responsibility for ensuring that students behave the way they are supposed to remains a parental responsibility,' he said. 'If you are relying solely on a teacher to monitor your child in school, the reality is that you are not likely to get that level of attention because there are simply too many students for the supervision required.'
He warned that without major reforms, violent incidents and indiscipline in schools are likely to persist. 'That is why we are seeing more of these incidents, and I can assure you that until significant changes are brought into this space, we may continue to witness some of these things,' he added.