Press Statement: PRETAG Calls for Urgent Action to Address Indiscipline Among SHS Students in Ghana

The Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association (PRETAG) today urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) and education stakeholders to act immediately to curb a worrying rise in student indiscipline across senior high schools. PRETAG says repeated incidents — including assaults on teachers, possession of weapons, and open defiance of school rules — have made many learning environments unsafe for staff and committed students.

In its statement, PRETAG called for clear, enforceable measures to restore order. Among the association’s key asks are stronger enforcement against students found with weapons, firm consequences for those who attack staff, and support for school leaders to enforce discipline without undue external interference. PRETAG also appealed to parents, community leaders and political actors to work with schools, not against them, whenever disciplinary action is required.

PRETAG warned that failure to act decisively risks further escalation that could endanger lives and undermine the nation’s education goals. The association urged the GES to publish concrete directives and to back school authorities with the legal and administrative powers necessary to keep campuses safe.

For full details of PRETAG’s statement and recommended actions, download the official release below.