Authorities have temporarily closed the Wa Technical Institute in the Upper West Region for one week after violent student disturbances on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 left the campus in chaos.
The unrest erupted during prep time as students returned from classes, causing extensive damage to school property including administration offices and school buses. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facility descended into disorder as learners went on a rampage across the campus.
Saaka Adams, Acting Regional Director of Ghana TVET and Principal of the Wa Technical Institute, stated that students had been traumatized by the incident and the school would remain closed for a week to allow them to rest and recover. The closure aims to ensure safety for both students and staff before academic activities resume.
Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Clement Abas Apaak visited the campus on Saturday, November 22 after receiving briefings from the Municipal Chief Executive, describing the situation as deeply troubling. He inspected the damaged facilities following his participation at the 4th Congregation of the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) in Bamahu Wa on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
Dr. Apaak expressed disappointment at the extent of damage and disruption while acknowledging efforts by local authorities and school leadership to stabilize the campus. He emphasized that what he witnessed was very worrying and having a significant impact on teaching and learning.
School authorities established a committee to investigate the incident, which has been described as a clash involving groups of students and external collaborators. The investigation seeks to determine root causes and identify those responsible for the destruction.
Dr. Apaak stressed that the Ministry of Education will only comment fully after the probe determines what triggered the violence, adding that government will not allow acts that undermine order or destroy public property. He noted that because actual causes remain unclear, detailed statements must wait until the investigation unravels what happened.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that acts of indiscipline would not be tolerated and perpetrators would face the full force of the law. Dr. Apaak declared that as a government and ministry, they would not tolerate disorder, insubordination, and destruction of public property from anyone.
The visit brought together key figures including Principal Adams Saaka, Municipal Chief Executive Nurah Danwanaa, Dasaana Adamu FShs, and Upper West Regional Police Commander Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Francis Yiribaare. The presence of senior police leadership underscores the seriousness with which authorities view the incident.
Wa Technical Institute was established in March 1993 through collaboration between the Government of Ghana and the former USSR Government. The institution serves as one of the major public technical schools in the Upper West Region, providing vocational and technical training to prepare students for employment and entrepreneurship.
The temporary shutdown represents the latest challenge facing Ghana’s technical education sector, which continues working to equip young people with practical skills for the job market. School authorities have assured parents and guardians that measures will be implemented to restore effective teaching and learning once investigations conclude and classes resume.
Students and staff await further announcements regarding when normal operations will restart at the campus located in the Wa Municipality.
