The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, rolls out critical reforms to tackle rising indiscipline in Ghana’s secondary schools, including reinstating PTA authority and authorizing student searches.
The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Education, has launched urgent measures to tackle the alarming rate of indiscipline in secondary schools. Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has greenlit key reforms in a bid to restore order and dignity to the country’s educational institutions.
Key Policy Changes Introduced
In a bold departure from previous administrations, the Ministry has:
Permitted school authorities to conduct searches on students, a move previously banned before 2017.
Reinstated Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to their full traditional authority, allowing greater community involvement in student welfare and discipline.
These initiatives signal the beginning of a larger framework of reforms designed to stabilize and strengthen the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme, which the government says requires review and recalibration for long-term sustainability.
Broader Reforms Underway
Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education and MP for Builsa South, confirmed that the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has been instructed to coordinate with the GES Council on additional immediate interventions.
He stated, “These measures are informed by the outcomes of the recent National Education Forum, where Ghanaians made it clear that the time for a practical overhaul of our school systems is now.”
Free SHS Programme Under Strategic Review
As indiscipline undermines classroom authority and academic focus, the government maintains that reviewing the FSHS policy is critical. Dr. Apaak emphasized, “What is happening in our schools justifies our campaign promise to review the implementation of Free SHS, not to cancel it, but to improve and sustain it.”
What’s Next?
With additional reforms in the pipeline, stakeholders expect:
Revised disciplinary codes for schools
Better resource allocation for school infrastructure and guidance services
Reinstated channels for parental engagement through reactivated PTAs
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