National action required to tackle growing indiscipline in schools – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has called for coordinated national action to address growing indiscipline in schools through shared responsibility and practical reforms.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the National Conference on Stemming the Growing Indiscipline in Schools in an Emerging World in Sunyani, Dr. Apaak said the challenge of indiscipline could no longer be left to schools alone, stressing that every segment of society had a role to play in restoring discipline among learners.

He said discussions over the two-day conference showed that indiscipline stemmed from multiple factors and therefore required a united national response rather than isolated interventions.

“What united every voice was a single, sobering truth: indiscipline is not one problem with one cause, but a shared national failure that only a shared national response can correct.”

According to him, participants agreed on practical measures to tackle the problem, including clearer standards of conduct, stronger counselling services, improved governance structures and enhanced legal safeguards for both students and educators.

He announced that stakeholders had also agreed to develop a unified framework to guide discipline in schools nationwide.

“Together, as stakeholders, we will harmonise a national code of conduct that aligns communal values with school rules. We will define a social contract that sets out student rights, parental accountability and peer-led discipline, backed by stronger counselling services in every school.”

Dr. Apaak stressed that while government would provide leadership, successful implementation would depend on the commitment of parents, teachers, religious and traditional leaders, security agencies and communities.

He reaffirmed the Ministry of Education’s commitment to creating safe learning environments where discipline and academic excellence go hand in hand.

Urging participants to champion the reforms beyond the conference, he said: “As a Ministry, we remain committed to safe schools, to protecting the dignity of our teachers, to positive discipline, to learner wellbeing, and to evidence-informed policymaking. Education without values cannot transform a nation; character matters every bit as much as competence.”