Incidents of student violence and indiscipline in Ghanaian schools are genuinely increasing and cannot be blamed solely on social media visibility, according to Barnabas Amanfo Addai, a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Educational Leadership in the Faculty of Education and Communication Sciences.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (23 February), Addai said while similar clashes existed in the past, current cases are more frequent and often underreported.
“It is not just social media making it visible,” he said. “It is real. It is increasing day in and day out in our schools.”
Parenting gaps
Addai linked the trend partly to changing family structures and reduced parental supervision.
He observed that many parents, particularly in urban areas, spend long hours at work and have limited time to guide their children.
“Some parents see their children only on weekends,” he said. “Upbringing and parental guidance are key.”
He argued that behavioural problems often develop gradually at home before surfacing at school.
Systemic discipline vacuum
The researcher also pointed to what he described as a systemic discipline vacuum created after corporal punishment was abolished without introducing equally effective alternatives.
According to him, some teachers now feel powerless to enforce discipline, leading to weakened authority in schools.
“When students begin confronting teachers, it signals a failed system,” he said.
He warned that leniency toward misconduct in broader society — including public figures escaping consequences — could embolden young people to challenge authority.
Early counselling needed
Addai called for stronger guidance and counselling structures starting at the basic school level rather than waiting until senior high school.
He noted that many large schools lack professional counsellors, with some appointing untrained teachers to the role.
“We should be training enough professional counsellors,” he said. “Children are easier to shape when they are young.”
Rethinking basic education
Beyond discipline, Addai urged reforms to Ghana’s basic education system to prioritise ethics, emotional development and values education over early academic pressure.
“At two or three years old, it shouldn’t just be about reading and writing,” he said. “We should be building ethics and emotional intelligence.”
He maintained that strengthening moral and character education from early childhood would help curb behavioural issues later in life.
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