Accra: The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for zero tolerance for bullying, violence, and criminal conduct in schools, stressing that educational institutions must remain safe spaces for teaching and learning. He emphasized that schools should not condone acts of violence, bullying, or other forms of serious misconduct, noting that discipline is central to building responsible citizens and promoting national development. Iddrisu made these remarks at a national conference themed 'Stemming Growing Indiscipline in Schools in an Emerging World,' held in Sunyani in the Bono Region.
According to Ghana Web, the conference brought together education administrators, teachers, parents, traditional and religious leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders to discuss practical measures to address the growing indiscipline in schools. The Education Minister expressed concern over reports of students carrying weapons to school, substance abuse, and incidents of violence in some educational institutions, saying the trend requires a collective response from parents, schools, and society. He observed that children often receive conflicting messages from their homes, schools, and communities, making it necessary for stakeholders to work together to promote acceptable standards of behavior. Iddrisu stated that recommendations from the conference would help shape policies aimed at strengthening discipline within Ghana's education system.
The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, highlighted that education should go beyond academic excellence to include character formation, discipline, integrity, and responsible citizenship. He called for stronger parental involvement, effective school leadership, guidance and counselling, mentorship, and values-based education to help address indiscipline among learners. During a panel discussion, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, mentioned that although child-friendly disciplinary measures, safeguarding policies, and guidance and counselling systems had been introduced following the abolition of corporal punishment in 2017, implementation remains a major challenge. He noted that the growing influence of technology and social media, coupled with changing societal values, requires stronger collaboration among parents, schools, and communities to instill discipline and preserve positive Ghanaian values.
Professor Fatuma Nyaguthii Chege, a Kenyan educationist from Kenyatta University's School of Education and Lifelong Learning, advocated for a whole-community approach to discipline. She urged stakeholders to focus on developing self-discipline among learners through guidance, counselling, and parental involvement rather than relying solely on punishment. The conference continued with breakout sessions, during which participants discussed practical measures to address indiscipline in schools. Preliminary reports from the sessions are expected to be presented and discussed as stakeholders work towards developing recommendations to strengthen discipline in educational institutions.