Josephine Obboye, Deputy Head Girl of Axim Girls Senior High School
In a bold and controversial statement, Josephine Obboye, Deputy Head Girl of Axim Girls Senior High School, has sharply criticized the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) for allowing discipline in Senior High Schools to deteriorate. Speaking exclusively on the popular YouTube channel High Schools Africa, Obboye accused the education authorities of failing to address the crisis of indiscipline that has plagued schools nationwide.
Obboye’s remarks come amid growing concerns about student behaviour, which many attributes to the abolition of corporal punishment. She argued that the absence of the cane has led to rampant misbehaviour, leaving teachers powerless. “Going independent doesn’t help. It’s unnecessary,” Obboye asserted, emphasizing that the lack of consequences has allowed discipline to collapse.
“There’s a special language that canes speak to students – and that language is pain,” Obboye said passionately. “Without consequences, students think they can do anything, and discipline goes out the window.”
Obboye did not shy away from criticizing the current state of schools, highlighting issues such as student disrespect towards teachers and the problematic ‘Akata’ challenge, where female students dress in baggy clothes to mimic boys. She described these trends as symptomatic of a broader moral decline and criticized the GES for not taking adequate measures to restore order.
“For me, it’s madness,” she stated, shaking her head. “It reflects poorly on the school, the parents, and the country. The GES is pretending that everything is fine, but we’re not a first-class country. In places where corporal punishment is abolished, there are systems to maintain discipline. In Ghana, it feels like we’ve undermined the fabric of our education system by removing caning.”
Although Obboye acknowledged that corporal punishment might not be a perfect solution, she argued that it provided a level of control that is currently missing. She suggested that public flogging of students caught engaging in misbehaviour could help restore discipline, saying, “If they’re caned in front of everyone, they won’t dare repeat the spectacle of indiscipline.”
Obboye warned that without a change in approach, schools will continue to face increasing levels of indiscipline. She placed the blame on the GES, accusing it of being disconnected from the reality faced by students and schools. “They’re making policies from their air-conditioned offices without understanding what’s happening on the ground,” she said. “It’s time they listen to us, the students, who experience the consequences of their decisions.”
Obboye’s frustration resonates with others, including Richlove Oduro from Kwame Nkrumah Senior High School, who has also criticized the GES for favouring elite schools while neglecting others. The mounting student dissatisfaction has put pressure on the GES to reassess its policies.
In a related development, Builsa South MP Clement Abas Apaak has called for urgent action to address the “deterioration of discipline” in schools. Speaking on Class 91.3 FM, Apaak emphasized that maintaining discipline is a shared responsibility between school administrators and parents. He criticized the trend of parents confronting teachers and urged collaboration to ensure proper student conduct.
Apaak also expressed concern about the sidelining of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) following the introduction of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He questioned how students can be expected to behave properly when teachers are excluded from direct parental involvement.
As the debate over school discipline continues, the future of Ghana’s Senior High Schools hangs in the balance. The GES faces mounting pressure to address the concerns raised by students and educators alike.
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