Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of second-cycle institutions to take full control of student behaviour in schools.
Speaking at the 75th Anniversary celebrations of Mawuli School, the Minister addressed growing concerns over indiscipline following heated debates on social media about students’ hairstyles and grooming standards. He stressed that schools exist to mould character, not to host beauty contests.
“There is an ongoing debate on social media about haircuts and size and lengths of hair in Secondary Schools. We’ll not tolerate today, we’ll not tolerate it tomorrow, in so long as we are moulding character. If we give in to hair today, tomorrow it will be shoes and the next day it will be the way they dress.
Therefore as part of our disciplinary measures, Headmasters and GES you’re accordingly empowered to take full control of how students behave on your campuses. So anybody who thinks that your child will walk into any institution of learning, as if that Child was to attend a beauty contest, the school environment is not for that purpose and not cut for that purpose and will not tolerate that as an institution,” he said.
The Minister, however, emphasised that teachers must exercise fairness and professionalism when enforcing school rules. He also warned that any teacher found abusing students would face sanctions.
“We will not tolerate indiscipline in our schools, including cases where teachers abuse learners. Any teacher found taking advantage of a student will face strict sanctions,” he added.
