As concerns mount over growing indiscipline in Ghana’s educational institutions, the Educate Africa Institute (EAI) has launched a nationwide campaign calling for a decisive shift in the national child development agenda.
The campaign, dubbed ‘CHILD LEFT’ (Child Learning Ethical Fundamentals and Training) is spearheaded by William Boadi, Executive Director of EAI, educationist, political analyst, and social worker.
“The Educate Africa Institute (EAI) has observed with deep concern the rising wave of indiscipline in our schools, fueled by a system that has overemphasized child rights while neglecting child responsibilities.
“While advocating for the protection and welfare of children remains critical, the time has come to strike a balance”
William Boadi, Executive Director of EAI
According to the EAI, the country’s singular concentration on child rights over the past few decades has come at the expense of “discipline, accountability, and a sense of duty” among school-going children.
The result, the organisation argues, is a generation of youth that has been emboldened to demand entitlements without understanding the corresponding obligations.
“Rights without responsibilities lead to chaos; discipline is the foundation of progress”
William Boadi, Executive Director of EAI
The Executive Director of EAI stated that the advocacy surrounding child rights have been “misinterpreted and misapplied.”
He warned that the consequences are now evident in rising incidents of “misconduct, poor academic performance, and general indiscipline” in schools.
From Entitlement to Accountability
William Boadi explained that the CHILD LEFT campaign is not an attack on child rights, but rather a recalibration aimed at producing “responsible and visionary citizens.”
The initiative seeks to instill in students a core understanding of “ethical principles, hard work, respect, and accountability” through both formal and informal education.
The campaign’s foundational goal is to reintroduce and entrench ethics and discipline in Ghana’s educational system by focusing on four key areas.
There are reinforcing discipline in schools, promoting child responsibility education, engaging parents and guardians, and revisiting policy frameworks that fail to strike a balance between rights and duties.
The EAI’s plan gives renewed power to teachers and school administrators to “enforce moral and ethical standards within their institutions.”
The organisation is advocating for a policy environment that enables educators to take disciplinary action without fear of backlash rooted in misapplied child rights laws.
As part of the initiative, schools are being encouraged to conduct regular ethics-based sessions, while also revising codes of conduct to clearly define acceptable behaviour and consequences for misconduct.
At the heart of this movement is the recognition that “discipline and success are inseparable.”
Community Involvement
In addition to reforms within the educational sector, the CHILD LEFT initiative places a strong emphasis on community engagement.
Boadi and his team have begun an “Attitudinal Change Seminar” series, moving from school to school, community to community, and institution to institution.
“We are educating, inspiring, and reshaping mindsets. This initiative is designed to restore discipline, accountability, and excellence among young people, preparing them to become responsible citizens and future leaders”
William Boadi, Executive Director of EAI
According to him, the involvement of parents and guardians is just as critical. The campaign calls for a national awakening that holds families accountable for the moral and ethical upbringing of their children.
The group argues that if values are not instilled at home, “schools alone cannot bear the weight of discipline and behaviour management.”
Policy Reform Agenda
EAI is also lobbying for policy adjustments that will reflect a balanced approach between child rights and child responsibilities.
The group believes that certain legal provisions, while well-intentioned, have unintentionally eroded adult authority and blurred the lines of discipline in schools.
Boadi insisted that there is an urgent need for collaboration among all stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, traditional authorities, and civil society, to rescue what he describes as a “moral crisis.”
“It is time to restore order in our schools and build a future generation of responsible, ethical, and visionary African leaders”
William Boadi, Executive Director of EAI
The Educate Africa Institute is calling on institutions, media outlets, NGOs, and development partners to support the campaign and amplify its message.
According to Boadi, the task of reshaping national character must begin with the youth, and it must begin now.
READ MORE: Iran To Have Indirect Talks With US Over Nuclear Program
