Keta: Some parents in Keta municipality of the Volta Region have expressed their support for stronger disciplinary codes in Senior High Schools (SHSs) to address issues of indecent dressing and behaviour.
According to Ghana News Agency, this comes after Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, the Education Minister, during the 75th anniversary of Mawuli SHS in Ho, gave directive to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and heads of second-cycle institutions to enforce strict discipline and maintain high moral standards.
The directives by the Minister have further sparked a heated public debate on social media, with many other parents in Keta supporting the move as a necessary step to restore discipline in schools.
Mr. Benjamin Awumey, a parent at Vui, a suburb of Keta, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the current system of education was too lenient and that students were taking advantage of the lenient system to engage in bad behaviour. He charged authorities of Ghana Education Service to empower school administrators to take full control of student behaviour, including matters of grooming and appearance.
He explained that the Ghana Education Service should call for a stakeholders' approach to purge schools of immorality and violence and stressed that teachers and school managers have a crucial role to play in nipping the problem in the bud. He said many other parents were particularly concerned about the dressing and hairstyles of students, which they believed were not in line with the values of discipline and hard work, which demanded stricter rules and regulations to govern students' behaviours and ensure that schools maintain a conducive learning environment.
Madam Bless Selina Dzenawo stated that the call has been welcomed by all parents within the area, who believed that it would help to restore discipline and order in schools, adding that 'the young one must understand that school is a place of study, not for unreasonable fashion show.' She debunked the argument by some critics who said that the directive would infringe on students' rights and stated that all parents should embrace the directives to enable restore discipline and order, which were essential for a productive teaching and learning environment for teachers and students.
She urged authorities to work with the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) to play a more proactive role in shaping student behaviour and support school policies to develop and implement effective disciplinary codes to avoid any untoward circumstances in future.
Some other parents GNA interacted with said that the issues of indiscipline in schools were complex, but it was clear that stricter disciplinary codes and a more structured environment for children would help to prepare students for the challenges of adulthood and equip them with the skills and values needed to succeed in life.
As the debate continues, parents in Keta were optimistic and believed that stronger and stricter disciplinary codes in SHSs would be essential for maintaining order, promoting learning, and ensuring that students develop into responsible and productive citizens as the only solution to curb indiscipline.