Ghanaian Times: Let’s stamp out lawlessness in Senior High schools

We have observed with utter dismay the ongoing disturbances in senior High Schools, some of which have led to attacks on people, as well as vandalisation of school property in many parts of the country.

Since the beginning of the West Africa Secondary School Examination, final year students in some of the schools across the country have gone on rampage beating people and destroying school properties.

Some of the students, according to media reports, have been protesting against school authorities for enforcing social distance protocols during their WASSCE, while others protested because the exams questions were too difficult to answer.

Other students who also rioted, blamed their action on their inability to answer questions during the examination because they relied on past questions supplied them by their school authorities.

Perhaps, the most absurd reason given by the students for going on the rampage is that their invigilator was too strict and did not allow them to cheat during the exams.

This is scandalous. And we join hands with the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders in condemning the action by the students and call for punishment for all the misguided elements who engaged in such unlawful acts.

In all honesty the conduct of the students are reprehensible and an affront to law and order in the country. In fact we support the position that all those involve in the lawlessness should be punished severely.

In times past, student demonstrations were based on reasons other than the very frivolous ones described above and yet they were condemned because it leads to destruction of property which has been provided by the tax payer to educate the same students.

It is a matter of concern for us that students who are being educated free under the government’s Free Senior High School policy with state resources are destroying state properties and insulting the very people who mean well for their future.

It also beats one’s imagination that students who have been sent to go and study for three years would rely on past questions to pass their exams and go on a rampage if they find it unhelpful. This is unheard off.

It is shameful that the students would indulge in such shameful acts and blame it on others or hide behind flimsy excuses instead of accepting their poor preparation towards the exams.

We cannot support these lawless actions and would go with any punishment that would be meted out to those involved that would ensure that discipline is bought back on school campuses in the country.

Let’s not allow indiscipline to fester in school otherwise we destroy our education system