GES announces emergency safety measures for schools under violent threats

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced emergency safety measures for schools under violent threats.

The schools, Bawku SHS, Nalerigu SHS, and Zuarungu SHS have been closed following a string of violent incidents that have disrupted academic activities and endangered lives.

According to the GES, these events have led to the tragic loss of student lives, injuries, and significant damage to school property. The incidents have also disrupted academic activities and caused deep distress among students, families, and school staff.

The GES, in a press release dated Monday, July 29, condemned in no uncertain terms these acts of violence and expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased and solidarity with all those affected.

In response to the crisis, the GES officially announced that all the schools under violent attacks are temporarily closed down to ensure safety of life and property.

“The GES, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, WAEC, Regional and District Directors of Education, and the leadership of the affected schools, is implementing emergency measures to safeguard the welfare of students and staff,” the statement read.

The GES indicated that arrangements are being made to ensure that SHS 3 students from the affected schools will be able to sit for the WASSCE under safe and fair conditions. This includes the identification and preparation of special examination centers, and the provision of necessary psychosocial support.

The statement added that for SHS 1 and 2 students, the GES is exploring all viable options to ensure learning continues while campuses remain closed for safety assessments. These include online learning platforms and community-based alternatives, details of which will be communicated in due course.

The GES also assured the public that counseling services are being strengthened in affected areas to help students and staff manage trauma resulting from these violent incidents.

The GES extended its appreciation to the Ministry of Interior and the security agencies for the swift evacuation of students from the affected schools and campuses. It stated: “We will continue to work closely with the security agencies to enhance safety on school campuses and to protect both students and personnel.”

The GES called on all stakeholders, including community leaders, traditional authorities, parents, and law enforcement agencies, to support efforts aimed at restoring calm and ensuring that schools remain safe spaces for teaching and learning.

“Our schools must be places of peace, discipline, and safety—not battlegrounds,” the statement concluded.

This development comes in the wake of deadly attacks on students over the weekend. At Bawku Senior High School, a final-year student, Hakim Kundima, was fatally shot on campus after armed assailants invaded the school. Similarly, two students of Nalerigu SHS were gunned down in their dormitory in the early hours of the same day.

The Government of Ghana subsequently announced the evacuation of students from Bawku, Nalerigu, and surrounding areas, and imposed a curfew aimed at restoring calm in the region.

The recent disturbances have been linked to the prolonged conflict between the Kusasis and Mamprusis, which has affected the Bawku area and its surroundings for decades.

The longstanding ethnic tensions have periodically erupted into violence, disrupting community life, education, and public safety in both North East and the Upper East Regions.