Under ‘Free SHS’ policy, a student can not be sacked – Headmaster

The Headmaster of Winneba Secondary School, Mr Hayford Mensah Tetteh, citing policy of the Free Senior High School, says under the Free SHS programme, a student can not be dismissed from school.

The Winneba school headmaster disclosed this, speaking at the 14th Annual Dowuono Hammond Public Lecture, held at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Accra.

The 14th Annual Dowuono Hammond Public Lecture brought together prominent relevant stakeholders in the education sector to discuss a pressing issue: indiscipline in Senior High Schools (SHSs)

The public lecture themed “Indiscipline in Senior High Schools in Ghana: Causes and Remedies,” served as a platform for experts to share insights and propose solutions to this challenge.

Mr Hayford Mensah Tetteh, highlighting the causes and remedies for indiscipline in Senior High Schools, said that some students learn bad behavior right from basic schools.

The Headmaster of the Winneba Secondary School said another major contributory factor to indiscipline in second-cycle schools is parents who have accepted behaviors like improper dressing as normal.

Showing sample slides of student misbehavior, such as smoking, uncontrolled fighting, and drug abuse, he attributed these problems to parents and guardians not having enough time for their children, and instead, spending most of their time winning bread for their families.

He stated that the Ghana Education Service(GES) has a code of conduct for students, but said the challenge lies in its implementation, particularly with phrases like “depending on the gravity” without clear guidelines on determining the severity of offenses.

Mr Tetteh suggested that amending the document to provide more specific guidelines would empower schools to discipline students more effectively, ensuring they develop into responsible individuals.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, has approved for school authorities to discipline students who breach the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) disciplinary code, including dismissals where necessary.

Speaking at the mid-year review of education sector policies and government programmes at the Jubilee House, Mr. Iddrisu expressed grave concern over rising acts of indiscipline in some Senior High Schools across the country.

The Education Minister disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama’s administration has granted the Ghana Education Service (GES) full authority to enforce discipline, including dismissing students where appropriate.

“The government will not compromise on quality education and moral training of students,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.

In other news, the General Secretary of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), Capson K. Raphael, following the growing trend of indiscipline in second-cycle schools, says students bring such behaviors from home to school.

In an interview monitored by Pretertiary.com, the PTA Secretary said that indiscipline often stems from home, not in the school, saying both environments play a significant role in shaping the behavior and character of students.

“Indiscipline, whether at home or in school, is behavior that disrupts the learning environment, disobeys rules and regulations, or shows a lack of respect for authority,” he stated, adding that “These are realities we’re facing today: students skipping classes, bullying, destruction of property, and even aggression towards teachers.”

The PTA secretary argued that schools are unfairly blamed for issues that originate in the home, saying that a lack of parental guidance and supervision contributes significantly to students’ behavior patterns when they enter the school system