The issue of discipline in Senior High Schools (SHSs) has taken center stage in Ghana’s education policy discourse, as authorities scramble to restore order and security in secondary schools across the country.
Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, Member of Parliament for Builsa South and Deputy Minister of Education, has raised alarm over what he describes as a deeply troubling trend of indiscipline within senior high schools, prompting a swift government response.
Dr. Apaak revealed that the Ministry of Education, under the leadership of Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, is implementing new strategies to combat the growing menace, with special emphasis on restoring student discipline and reinforcing institutional authority.
“The Hon. Minister of Education has, through the Ghana Education Service [GES], permitted management of secondary schools to search students, which was never permitted under the previous government.”
Dr. Clement Abas Apaak
In addition, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) have been restored to their pre-2017 functions, a move intended to revitalize community involvement in school governance.
“These two policies are only two of many others in the pipeline,” he added, signaling broader reforms to come.
Dr. Apaak also highlighted that the Minister of Education has issued a clear directive to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to work in close coordination with the GES Council to swiftly implement targeted measures aimed at curbing the growing indiscipline in secondary schools.
These immediate interventions are not isolated efforts but are intended to be the first phase of a broader strategy for reform.
This comprehensive reform agenda is being guided by key recommendations drawn from the National Education Forum, which reflected the views and concerns of education stakeholders and the general public across the country.
The goal, according to Dr. Apaak, is to address the root causes of disorder in schools while laying the foundation for a more disciplined and effective educational environment.
GES Given Full Mandate to Act
Meanwhile, in recent weeks, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu has intensified his focus on discipline in schools, especially following a string of incidents that have raised national concern.
The Education Minister publicly called on the GES to reassert authority within SHSs, assuring the Director-General, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, of the government’s unwavering policy support.
“He has our full policy support to enforce those directives. So, the ‘un-Ghanaian’ development of shooting in Kumasi, the Director-General of the GES has the full support of the government to strengthen your inspection efforts so that guns, knives, and other violent tools are not found in our schools.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu
His comments come in the wake of rising complaints from stakeholders within the education sector. Several educational bodies have submitted petitions, lamenting the growing lawlessness in second-cycle institutions and urging urgent government intervention.
One of the most vocal among them is the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS). The organization has called on the Ministry of Education to establish a specialized unit within the Ghana Police Service tasked with protecting SHSs nationwide.
“Security in our schools is no longer something we can take lightly. We need professional support to ensure that students not only feel safe, but also understand the boundaries of discipline.”
CHASS
Free SHS Review To Ensure Discipline
Furthermore, Dr. Clement Apaak connected the ongoing disciplinary challenges in secondary schools to underlying shortcomings in the implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.
He suggested that without addressing these structural issues within the FSHS framework, efforts to restore discipline may fall short, as the current system does not fully support the enforcement of rules and effective school management.
“What is happening in our secondary schools clearly justifies our campaign promise to review the implementation of the Free Senior High School [FSHS] Programme as a basis to improve and sustain it.”
Dr. Clement Abas Apaak
The government, he noted, is not abandoning the FSHS policy but rather looking to strengthen it by integrating feedback from key education stakeholders and civil society.
This includes ensuring discipline remains a core pillar of academic excellence in Ghana’s public schools.
With student violence, contraband items, and classroom disruptions increasingly reported, the Ministry of Education’s new commitment to addressing discipline in schools could mark a significant turning point in Ghana’s educational landscape.
The Ministry’s multi-pronged approach—ranging from searches and PTA reactivation to potential police involvement and policy review—reflects a growing consensus that the time to act is now.
As the GES moves to implement these directives, all eyes will be on how effectively these reforms translate into real-world improvements in student conduct, safety, and academic focus.
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