Is Violence in Senior High Schools in Ghana Being Addressed Or It’s Just Expected To Fizzle Out?

Is Violence in Senior High Schools in Ghana Being Addressed Or It’s Just Expected To Fizzle Out?

Naa Oyoo Quartey
Education

Never in my entire three decades have I seen such impunity and indiscipline being displayed by senior high school students (SHS) before. The rampant violent attacks against other students, teachers and more recently against town residents is overwhelmingly unheard of! For the past four years and counting, it has been a slow-rising media report of student violence many which have led to injuries , destruction of properties and even the tragic loss of human lives. 2024 to this new year seems to have seen the worst episodes so far.

Students in SHS are taking things into their own hands rather chaotically instead of resorting to authorities to resolve issues. A typical example being the recent Christian Methodist High School incident where students attacked a shop and community members for allegedly hiding a student suspected of stealing a mobile phone.

A month ago, students at the Accra Technical Center clashed against Kinbu High School for unknown reasons. An X video posted by GhOne showed Accra High students weilding makeshift weapons whilst chasing down the Kinbu students.

It doesn’t end there, students of Salaga SHS in the East Gonja Municipality were found with locally manufactured pistols and live ammunition after engaging in a free-for-all fight against each other. Was it a tribal issue? The cause is still not known. https://citinewsroom.com/2025/02/20-salaga-shs-students-arrested-after-violent-fight/

How is it that these students are weaponized? Do they hide cutlasses meant for weeding in their bags or lockers for the purpose of attacking a fellow human being? Who is supplying them with local pistols?

When it’s not large groups of students vs other schools it’s a one-on-one assault involving two students. Quite recently, two students of O’Reilly SHS were engaged in a brawl which led to one student stabbing the other leading to the victim’s horrifying death.

In a space of two months, our country has witnessed 5 High School violence events and the question everyone is asking is, ‘How is this possible? What is going on?” Whatever happened to healthy school rivalry which usually ends up in jama competitions and fun-fairs? Then again it just goes to show how low our family values has sunk over the years and the Ghana Education System is literally hanging by spidery thin threads. Discipline isn’t being enforced in schools anymore because teachers are literally scared of students attacking them. Ei!

As a female student in Mfantsiman Girls, i remember how discipline was instilled and woe betide you should you be caught flouting laid down rules and regulations. You’d be either sanely caned, made to go dig several buckets of laterite to dump almost a kilometer away or made to stone scrub an already clean gutter. Let’s just say, the only time I got punished was during a mass-punishment which I unfortunately would fall into. I was a law-abiding student. This generation of students have really tear chain. Amɛ tse kpaa diɛŋtsɛ .

Two days ago, I watched several SHS boys groping SHS girls on their privates during one major student sports event. Horrified isn’t enough to express how I felt. Disgusted. Mortified. Perhaps these words will do the justice. Watch the video here. Not only are students clashing against each other but are sexually assaulting girls and laughing about it like they are actually enjoying this violation of someone’s body.

What is the cause?

Online discussions regarding these incidents highlight the decline of respect and morality in the country. I second that thought but I would also want to question how children are being raised at home also. Are parents disciplining their children as they ought to or leaving that responsibility to teachers because they are too stressed from work to bother? With the uptick also on drug abuse in schools and communities, is it also possible students are being influenced by these drugs?

Drastic action needs to be taken as a matter of urgency! GNAT General Secretary, Thomas Tanko Musah expressed his concerns about student violence and proferred the suggestion that military barracks might have to be set up in schools since students are now weaponized. https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/education/gnat-warns-of-possible-military-presence-in-schools-amid-rising-student-violence/2025/

What is being done?

The presence of police officers have been noted at most of these schools to ensure the safety of other students and teachers. But is this a sustainable solution?

Many of these incidents undergo ‘investigation’ and the public never hears of the final report or the punitive measures put in place to deter future attacks. Maybe these young men and women have noted how leaders aren’t held accountable for corrupt acts so somewhere in the deep dark crevices of their brain they think they can also get away with it. Just thinking out loud.

We need to read and watch what actions are being taken to keep students in check and hold GES, GNAT and the Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu accountable until a positive impact is seen.

When students realize that they can’t get away with such foolishness then they might sit up. As a country we cannot quietly sit down and talk plenty on radio & TV for the optics. Allowing student violence to fester will lead to dire negative socio-political, economic and religious consequences. It will destroy the peace and security which we enjoy in this country but are taking for granted. The risks are high and nation-wide action needs to be taken NOW!


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