The New Nation School has refuted reports that the Human Rights High Court in Accra has declared its disciplinary action against some of its students harsh.
The school has described the publication as misleading and inaccurate.
The widely circulated publication has been attributed to the Ghana News Online.
The court’s decision reportedly highlighted instances where students were subjected to punitive measures for voicing their opinions or raising concerns regarding life in the school.
This was as a result of a lawsuit brought by the parents of four children and now former students of the New Nations School, challenging the unreasonable punishment meted out to the children for their alleged activities online during the school’s vacation.
In a judgment delivered on 12th November 2024, Her Ladyship, Barbara Tetteh-Charway (Mrs.) was of the opinion that the decision by the New Nation’s School to suspend the children indefinitely constituted a violation of their right to freedom of expression, thought and conscience.
According to the court, it was clear that the children were not responsible for the creation of the alleged offensive videos posted on social media under the Instagram, handle “free NNS students please …we are suffering” as well as the TikTok account, “newnationschoolsucks”.
However, a statement signed by the Director and spokesperson for the school, Dr Esther Onah, indicated that the media reports are not only misleading but also a complete misrepresentation of the facts.
“The Human Rights Court ruled in favour of New Nation School, dismissing allegations of unlawful disciplinary measures. The court validated our actions as being within our rights to enforce discipline, and concluded that our disciplinary actions did not infringe upon students’ freedom of expression,” the statement read in part.
Dr Onah emphasized that the media reports selectively quoted parts of the judgment, ignoring the broader context and ultimate conclusion of the case.
“This creates a false impression of wrongdoing by the school, which is not supported by the facts. At New Nation School, the administration remains committed to providing quality education within a disciplined framework.
“We understand the importance of fostering responsible behavior while ensuring our disciplinary measures align with legal and ethical standards,” the statement explained.
The school has therefore urged the public to disregard the erroneous reports and rely on accurate information regarding the court’s ruling.
“We’re available to engage with anyone seeking clarification or further information on this matter,” the statement added.
ALSO READ:
Read the full judgment below: