The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Musah, has expressed concern over the deterioration of moral values and discipline in Ghanaian schools. His remarks follow a viral video showing an Accra Academy student flogging his peers with a cutlass, sparking public outrage and renewed discussions on school discipline.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, February 2, Musah lamented the erosion of character development in schools, warning of future consequences if urgent action is not taken.
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“As a nation, character and conscience, we have lost it. We are now training people with knowledge, but for their character and conscience, we have lost it. If care is not taken, we will all be in trouble in the coming years,” he said.
Musah attributed the decline in discipline to the diminished authority of teachers and headteachers, recalling a time when they had the power to enforce discipline with parental support. He urged policymakers to empower school administrators to restore order.
Meanwhile, Accra Academy’s management has addressed the incident, clarifying that it occurred on January 17, 2024, but was not reported until the video surfaced. Investigations revealed that the students involved—Shadad Aliu (Form 1), Haleem Jibril (Form 3), Ahmed Dauda (Form 3), and Richard Ninsin (Form 3)—brought the machete from home.
The school has taken disciplinary action, handing over the main perpetrator to the police and suspending the others pending further investigations. The victims, identified as Samuel Ussher, Kingsford Quayson, Stephen Oteng, and Dominic Awuku Adjei, are all Form 1 students.
Accra Academy assured parents that the matter is under review by its disciplinary committee and pledged to take appropriate action to maintain order and discipline in the school.
