Mr. Daniel Fenyin, an educationist and counsellor, has urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to restore disciplinary power and authority to teachers and principals, enabling them to penalize students for misbehavior. According to Mr. Fenyin, this would empower educators to have complete control over the students they educate and help maintain discipline in schools.
In a recent incident at Adisadel College, where a student was assaulted by another student, Mr. Fenyin highlighted the need for teachers to have the authority to take disciplinary actions without seeking approval from the GES. He expressed concern that the recent change disempowering teachers from penalizing students was contributing to indiscipline in schools.
Mr. Fenyin emphasized that teachers play a crucial role in molding students’ characters, and limiting their authority to discipline students had negative consequences. He called for a restoration of teachers’ roles as professionals responsible for not only teaching but also shaping students’ behavior.
Regarding the issue of bullying, Mr. Fenyin noted that the GES’s rule of conduct for Senior High Schools lacked clarity on what constituted bullying. He urged the GES to define bullying and attacks precisely to address this social problem effectively in schools.
Regarding the viral video showing an Adisadel College student assaulting another, Mr. Fenyin suggested that the victim’s penalty should be reconsidered. He proposed counseling and rehabilitation for the victim to help him recover from the assault.
Mr. Fenyin’s plea for the restoration of disciplinary power to teachers and principals aims to create a conducive and disciplined learning environment for students in Ghanaian schools.
