The recent disturbance at Wa Technical Institute, as reported by Yirimambo, is yet another painful reminder of the growing wave of indiscipline sweeping through many second-cycle institutions across the country. While every isolated incident deserves investigation, the bigger picture confronting us is one of drug abuse, moral decay, and a collapsing culture of discipline. The ease with which students now resort to violence did not begin today—it is the result of a system that has lowered the bar for entry and weakened the authority of teachers and administrators.
A major contributor to this escalating crisis is the wholesale admission of students under the Free SHS programme. While the policy has given thousands access to education, it has also opened the door to many who lack the interest, discipline, or academic readiness required for serious study. The result has been a sharp rise in chaotic behaviour, vandalism, and disregard for school rules. If this policy is not urgently reviewed to allow only truly committed students into the programme, we should brace ourselves for even more destructive disturbances.
Parents also carry a significant share of the blame. The pervasive use of hard drugs among students is no longer a rumour—it is a growing epidemic. Tramadol, cannabis, and other substances are destroying the lives, health, and academic futures of young people at an alarming rate. Parents must take a far deeper interest in the daily lives, friendships, and behaviours of their children instead of leaving the burden solely to school authorities. Strengthening internal security on campuses is important, but no amount of security can replace parental responsibility.
It is equally troubling that some so-called human rights activists jump quickly to defend whatever challenges school management faces, often without understanding the internal dynamics of discipline. The recent debate over students keeping long hair is a clear example. Dress codes exist to ensure discipline, order, and identity within the school environment. Advocating for long hair in the name of rights only fuels indiscipline and encourages students to challenge every rule meant to guide them.
Those found culpable in the Wa Technical Institute attack must face severe sanctions to serve as a deterrent. We cannot build a disciplined society if acts of violence on school campuses go unpunished. Ghana’s future depends on the young people we train today, and if we fail to restore discipline, enforce standards, and reform the Free SHS programme, we risk nurturing a generation completely disconnected from responsibility and respect for authority.
Source of image: Yirimambo Advocacy Group – UWR
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