Action Aid Ghana organises training for Headteachers, PTA, others in Sissala East

Action Aid Ghana (AAG), a non-governmental organization has organized a 2-day training for Headteachers of Basic Schools, leaders of the Parent-Teacher Association, circuit supervisors, and officers at the education directorate in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region to equip them with knowledge on alternative correctional measures to pupils’ misconduct at the Basic School level.

The training which covered 110 participants was aimed at equipping them with knowledge on “Positive Discipline” and making them allies for the campaign against corporal punishment in schools and at home.

Addressing participants at the training, the Acting Regional Programmes Manager of the AAG, Madam Abiba Nibaradun said corporal punishment continued to affect students’ learning and stressed that it was about time teachers adopted the positive discipline approach to correcting students’ misbehaviour as the concept promoted thinking and problem-solving skills and mutual respect among children.

She added that positive discipline enhanced Child Rights and Pedagogical Principles and among other things, guided children to be of their best behaviour, built self-confidence and respected their rights to healthy development and protection from violence.

“The fact that we grew up witnessing regular use of corporal punishment at school and in some homes does not make it an acceptable correctional tool; the measure rather contributes to aggression in children and affects their creativity and as custodians of children’s hopes and aspirations, we must create an environment that will help children thrive. If a child misbehaves, your first challenge is to ensure you understand the reason for that behaviour and evaluate whether the behaviour deserves a disciplinary response”, she said.

In her conclusion, she indicated that corporal punishment left children with emotional scars like fear, trauma, and timidity and encouraged teachers to comply with the directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) on the abolishment of corporal punishment.

Mr. Osman Luriwie Kanton, the Executive Director for Action for Sustainable Development (ASUDEV), an NGO partner of ActionAid in the region said corporal punishment was not a way of correcting students but rather a risk factor for increased school dropout cases.

He encouraged teachers to create a friendly environment for children so that they would develop an interest in going to school to learn instead of creating fear in them and giving the impression that corporal punishment was part of education.

He advised teachers to use other correctional means to correct children and make them understand why they are corrected rather than abuse them in the name of ‘Discipline’.

The Deputy Director In Charge of Administration at the Municipal Directorate of the GES, Mr. Godfred Baveru Kanton added that although corporal punishment was banned, it was still an issue of concern in some schools in the area and called for an end to it since its disadvantages far outweighed its positives.

The Head Teacher of the Wallembelle Junior High School, Mr Ahmed Issahaku who spoke on behalf of the participants commended Action Aid Ghana for the initiative and called on other organizations to emulate same.

Similar training was also conducted in Jirapa and Lambussie districts for some 82 and 60 participants respectively.

FROM RAFIA ABDUL RAZAK, TUMU