General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah, has voiced deep concern over the erosion of moral values and discipline in Ghanaian schools.
His comments follow a viral video showing a student from Accra Academy Senior High School using a cutlass to flog two of his peers, an incident that has sparked widespread outrage and renewed debates about character development in the nation’s educational institutions.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, February 2, Mr. Musah lamented the decline in conscience and character in schools.
He warned that if the current trends continue, the nation could face serious consequences in the future.
“As a nation, we have lost character and conscience. We are now training people with knowledge, but when it comes to character and conscience, we have fallen short. If care is not taken, we will all be in trouble in the coming years. This is something that policymakers must seriously address,” he stated.
Mr. Musah attributed this decline in discipline to the weakening of authority within schools, particularly the reduced role of headteachers and teachers in maintaining order.
He recalled a time when school leaders were empowered to enforce discipline, and parents actively collaborated with schools to correct their children’s behavior.
“When I was in elementary school, headteachers were so empowered that no student could misbehave in school. Parents could even come in and report their wards to the teachers. Back then, teachers were truly empowered,” he recalled.
He noted that the current environment has left teachers vulnerable. “There are instances when students report incidents to their parents, who then come to school and physically confront the teacher. When teachers try to address issues, they risk backlash from either the students or their parents,” Musah explained.
Mr. Musah stressed the urgent need for a collective effort to restore discipline and moral values in schools.
He called for empowering headteachers and school administrators to enforce rules and maintain order effectively.
“It seems that nobody cares, and we are treating it as if it’s free-for-all. The sooner we come together and restore the authority of headteachers and school administrators, the better it will be for all of us,” he concluded.
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