Tackle student indiscipline before teachers abandon classrooms – Ex-GNAT President

A former president of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has warned that rising student indiscipline could drive teachers away from classrooms.

Rev. Isaac Owusu said authorities must act before repeated attacks on teachers create fears about their safety and undermine the education system.

Monitoring his interview on Rainbow Radio’s Nyankonton Mu Nsem following an alleged assault on the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) by some students.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about discipline in Ghanaian schools and the safety of teachers.

Rev. Owusu said students who have complaints against teachers or school authorities must use established procedures rather than resort to violence.

“Ghana is governed by laws, and so if people break the law, nobody—whether a student, teacher, or parent—has the right to take the law into their own hands,” Rev. Owusu declared. “What the students did was unlawful and must be punished.”

He said the Ghana Education Service (GES) had begun investigations into the Obuasi SHTS incident and should be allowed to determine what happened.

According to him, even where a teacher or headteacher is accused of misconduct, students cannot decide on their own what punishment should be imposed.

Rev. Owusu said the reported attacks on teachers were becoming a wider concern and could eventually affect the willingness of educators to remain in the profession.

“What is happening across the country will get to the point where no teacher would want to teach,” he cautioned. “These attacks have become one too many, and it is about time we deal with the challenge head-on.”

He called for greater cooperation between schools and parents to address student behaviour and strengthen discipline.

The former GNAT president said changes in parenting and school discipline had made it harder for some institutions to deal with misconduct.

He argued that schools needed effective disciplinary systems, while parents should also take responsibility for reinforcing appropriate behaviour at home.

The comments come amid broader concerns about violence and indiscipline in some second-cycle schools in Ghana.

Rev. Owusu said disagreements between students and teachers should be resolved through dialogue and the relevant school or education authorities.

He also raised concerns about the conduct of some teachers, warning them against intimate relationships with students.

Such relationships, he said, breach the professional standards expected of educators and can undermine confidence in schools.

He urged students, teachers, parents and education authorities to work together to restore discipline and ensure that schools remain safe places for teaching and learning.

Rev. Owusu said the rule of law must remain the basis for dealing with disputes in schools, regardless of the circumstances.

He warned that failing to address student violence could have consequences beyond individual incidents, including making it increasingly difficult for schools to retain teachers willing to work in challenging environments.