Sacking 8 Chiana SHS teenagers, denying them their right to education is unconstitutional – HRRG
Sacking the 8 Chiana SHS teenagers, and denying them their right to education, is unconstitutional and backward in every respect. This kind of corrective approach is not different in practice if compared to the so-called corporal punishment the GES says has been abolished. The truth is Corporal punishment is still being practiced in schools and this decision by the GES is a better description of it in a different form.
The GES should temper justice with mercy in this case and bring these learners back to school because the current decision will help no one.
The Nana Addo-led government, the Dr. Adutwumua-led Ministry of Education, as well as the Ghana Education Service led by Dr. Eric Nkansah, have proven that they do not place a higher value on the education needs of the students who did the wrong thing by spewing vulgar and unprintable words on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a viral video in 2022.
Reacting to the dismissal of the eight students, the Programmes Director of the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Mr. Wisdom Hammond said “The decision of the government led by the GES to dismiss the students is an attack on the right to education which these learners are entitled to. If you want to correct these teenagers, find a better way of doing it not to deny them education, no!”
“Denying these students their right to education is unconstitutional, and the decision must be reversed immediately. What they did was very bad, but this decision is even very bad” He added.
The right to education is guaranteed in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution which states in Article 38(2) that “The Government shall within two years after Parliament first meets after coming into force of this Constitution draw up a programme for the implementation within the following 10 years for the provision of a Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education.”
Additionally, the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778) and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) also guarantee the right to education in Ghana. Act 560 consolidates the law relating to children by providing for the rights of the child, maintenance, and adoption, and by regulating child labour, apprenticeship, and related matters. As a nation, we have introduced Free SHS as part of the policy because of the importance we attach to educating young minds and everyone to develop the nation’s human capital. The decision to deny these learners the right to education in public schools will remain wrong unless the government does what is necessary.
The GES should temper justice with mercy in this case and bring these learners back to school because the current decision will help no one.
Mr. Joseph Wemakor, the Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) reacting to the decision also said “A forward-looking father who is compassionate and wants the best for his children will never ever deny his child, education as a way of correcting a bad deed. Any father who does that would have surely done a disservice to the child and himself. This is exactly what the President, MoE, and GES have done.”
The HRRG said it expected the government and the two education-focused institutions of state to place a stronger emphasis on counselling and moral values systems and programmes in our secondary schools to further enlighten students on what constitutes acceptable behaviour.
Where are the counselling units of the GES and what programmes and projects have they instituted or suggested to help learners stay within acceptable behaviours?
READ: Human Rights Lawyer Backs HRRG, Demands GES Disciplinary committee Report on Students Abused
“Again, it would have been better for the MoE and GES to provide higher levels of counselling and groom these 8 students to become change leaders.” Mr. Hammond added.
He went on to say that “by making the students change leaders or behaviour change champions, the learners will become converts of bad bahaviour and useful ambassadors of good behaviour in secondary schools and when given the chance to speak about their actions, the aftermath, and what they have learned, the lessons would have become a landmark case student on what can be done to help deal with indiscipline in many instances in schools.”
“Such an approach will rather help the entire generation of teenagers and youth who are quick to use vulgar and unprintable words on adults.” According to Mr. Hammond
“But come to think of it, whatever good or bad deeds, well thought of public and private statements and vice versa that emanate from children and teenagers were copied or learned one way or the other from adults” Mr. Joseph Wemakor explained.
We have seen adults and politicians take to radio and TV programmes to spew worse things and to express their views in very violent voices and words only to walk away or be asked to retract their statements and that ends it. We are not in any way saying what the students did was right, however, the line of thinking of leadership and the decision arrived at is not the best option.”Mr. Wemakor Added.
He furthered that “Instead of thinking of a more productive, useful, and forward-looking approach to dealing with such issues, we have refused as a nation to think outside the box once more and this is pathetic”.
“The decision by the Ghana Education Service led by Dr. Eric Nkansah to sack the students and prevent them from enjoying their right to education because they insulted the president of the land is rather unfortunate.”
“The decision is backward and does not seek to correct these students, who would have regretted their actions and also pleaded for forgiveness.”
“The decision to deny these learners their right to education amounts to the abuse of their fundamental human rights. Our brothers and sisters in prison for more serious than what these teenagers did still have access to education even in prison if they so wish. It makes no logical sense to axe these learners off their education journey. No matter the justification of the GES for reaching this decision, there is everything wrong with it.” The Executive Director of HRRG stated.
The GES described the actions of the students as “very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system.” That is accurate, but the decision taken is absolutely a wrong precedent that will hunt us all if the future of these learners gets messed up.
The second-year students, the GES statement said, used vulgar and unprintable words on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a viral video late last year
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed all eight female students of the Chiana Senior High School in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region for making derogatory statements against President Nana Akufo-Addo.
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The second-year students, the GES statement said, used vulgar and unprintable words on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a viral video late last year.
The dismissal of the students follows an investigation into the case. Prior to the dismissal, the students had been on suspension.
The GES, in the dismissal letter, addressed to parents of the students, described their conduct as very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system.
The HRRG has therefore called on the GES to rethink its decision and ensure the learners are not denied their right to education in public SHS. Their future is important to the nation and must be guarded jealously whiles ensuring they become ambassadors of good behaviour in school.
The GES should temper justice with mercy in this case and bring these learners back to school because the current decision will help no one.
Source: Ghana Education News