Indiscipline in schools worrying, need to address it

 In recent years there has been growing concern over the be­haviour of Senior High School (SHS) students in Ghana.

Notable among them is indis­cipline, disrespect for authority, sexual immorality, substance abuse, betting, cheating during examina­tion among others.

Recently, parents were stunned when the headmistress of Aggrey Memorial Senior High School, Mrs. Dorothy Adentwi-Hayford, displayed seized condoms, pills, and unau­thorised items from students at the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting in Cape Coast.

Reports say that in a firm stance against growing indiscipline in the school, she placed the confiscated items on the high table as a visual illustration of the moral and disci­plinary challenges some students posed.

Although the Headmistress declined to name the culprits, she assured parents that appropriate disciplinary actions, alongside coun­selling would be taken.

According to the Headmistress while the majority of students were disciplined a persistent few stu­dents continued to exhibit deviant behaviours that undermined the school’s standards.

Citing examples she noted that sneaking out without exeat, bully­ing, stealing, truancy, and general apathy towards academic work, was the order of the day.

What is so disturbing is that some parents attack the school verbally and place curses on school authorities for disciplining their wards without verifying the facts.

Such behaviour is uncalled for and the Spectator wants such parents to desist from that, instead they should collaborate with school authorities to find the best way to deal with indiscipline among students.

Parents must also take an active interest in their children’s welfare beyond just providing for their ma­terial needs and investigate issues when their children return home with complaints before jumping into conclusion.

These days the school’s structure has changed and with the increasing numbers without any corporal pun­ishment school authorities find it difficult to discipline the children.

The behaviour of majority of students in schools is very disheart­ening. While some students take their studies seriously, others have taken to the use of drugs, sex, oc­cultism, betting and all kinds of bad behaviours.

Corporal punishment has its own advantages and disadvantages and if the Ghana Education Service (GES) is not ready to reintroduce corporal punishment, then school authori­ties must be extra vigilant and put in stricter disciplinary measures to restore order in schools.

Most SHS students are in their teenage stages, a stage character­ised by all kinds of behaviours and peer pressure activities so they must not be left alone, rather they must be guided as they explore the world.

The Spectator urges all stake­holders to make concerted efforts to check indiscipline and moral decadence in schools.