The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa has warned that his outfit is ready to take the extreme measure of stopping students from writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination if students indiscipline continues.
In a sternly-worded statement on Thursday, the Director-General appeared to have been peeved by the numerous short videos of students protesting in some senior high schools, expressing frustration about the ongoing WASSCE.
“Ghana needs educated and disciplined citizens in its forward march to development and that no student is above the law and that whatever it takes to maintain discipline in the schools would be done including possible withdrawal of students from the schools and the examinations centres,” he warned.
He observed that the behaviour of the students in the videos demonstrates “crass indiscipline”. He was equally worried by what he calls “unfortunate comments” made by the students about high profile personalities including Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo.
Condemning the students and “unprofessional conduct” of some staff, he stressed, “Management wishes to make it clear that school rules and regulations, in particular those involving the conduct of examinations, have not been suspended in any form”.
Therefore, he directed, any students established to have misconducted themselves in any of the indiscipline acts should be deboardnized and be allowed to commute from home to write the exams under parental control.
“Any destruction of school property will be surcharged against the culprits established to be involved. Instances where criminal acts have been committed should be reported to the Police for investigations,” Prof. Opoku-Amankwa emphasised.
Subsequently, education directors have been instructed to take action on all such misconducts and submit reports to the Director-General immediately.
“Management of GES wishes to caution the general public especially parents that in its efforts to maintain discipline in the schools, pleas for mitigation will not be tolerated and therefore encourages all parents to advise their wards to maintain high sense of discipline and comportment.”
