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Heads of Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Central Region have advocated for a systematic collection and publication of disciplinary data inter houses in schools and class to help schools spot patterns, target interventions and measure progress.
They explained that published figures would create constructive peer pressure among houses, enable focused support where it was needed and turn abstract discipline goals into concrete, trackable targets that house leaders could manage and be held to drive sustained behavioural change.
They said using data to motivate house leaders in schools and encourage ownership of behaviour improvements, was vital because clear, unit-level statistics would make problems visible.
Ultimately, regular publication of discipline trends would also help school management and stakeholders monitor the impact of interventions and reinforce accountability at the all levels, they stressed.
The Heads’ statement was jointly read by Ms Linda Appiah, the Headmistress of the Holy Child School, Reverend Dr Patrick Appiah, Headmaster of St Augustine’s College and Mr John Arthur, the Headmaster of Edinaman SHS at a day’s workshop organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) in Cape Coast.
Following recent surge in viral videos showing student sexting, bullying and violence, the School Heads believed the intervention would help schools prevent and handle bad behaviours.
The forum was aimed at empowering the Heads of Schools to respond appropriately and timely in fostering peace in schools, nurture religious tolerance and particularly prevent violence, bullying and indiscipline.
The workshop provided an opportunity for them to reflect on challenges facing schools, share best practices and develop practical strategies for fostering understanding and mutual respect.
The Head of schools made other recommendations including a call for greater autonomy and resourcing of Guidance and Counselling Units in schools to foster a culture of respect, cooperation and a positive identity.
It is also to build respectful student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships to nurture a positive school culture that lowers violence and improves student wellbeing.
Ultimately, it would reduce the drivers of school indiscipline including peer influence, access to weapons, overcrowding, inadequate facilities, unresolved school conflicts, sexual harassment and teachers’ conflicts of interest such as selling to students.
They also made a strong case for involving parents directly in disciplinary processes, arguing that when parents were informed and expected to follow up at home, students’ accountability increased and repeated offences declined.
Dr Juliette Dufie Otami, the Regional Director of Education, commended the NPC for promoting religious tolerance in schools, saying it was central to developing a peaceful, inclusive and value-based education system.
She said education went beyond acquiring knowledge and skills to shaping character, instilling values, and preparing learners to be responsible citizens who respected the rights and beliefs of others.
Dr Otami said Ghanaian schools continued to reflect the nation’s rich religious and cultural diversity and stressed the collective responsibility to ensure that diversity remained a source of strength rather than division.
She assured that the Ghana Education Service remained committed to providing safe, inclusive and equitable learning environments where every learner and staff member was treated with dignity and respect, regardless of religious affiliation or cultural beliefs.
“Promoting religious tolerance was not only an educational responsibility but also a national imperative contributing to social cohesion, peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.
“I urge educators and leaders to model fairness, empathy, respect and tolerance so schools would be places where every child felt safe, valued and empowered to reach their potential,” she advised.
Mrs Janet Dedei Sarney-Kuma, Director for Capacity Development and Outreach at NPC said the 1992 Constitution granted freedom of worship and therefore students whether Christian or Muslim, needed to tolerate one another, since they were not enemies but followers of different religious systems.
She added that whether a school was Muslim or Christian, students of the other faith should be made to feel included rather than excluded.
She encouraged unity among students, teachers, non-teaching staff and parents, noting that outside influences sometimes provoked tensions and that parental involvement reduced those pressures.
Source: GNA