The conversation around discipline in Ghanaian schools has taken a new turn following a recent viral video showing a student from Accra Academy Senior High School using a cutlass to flog two of his peers.

The shocking incident has reignited concerns about the apparent erosion of authority within schools and the growing culture of indiscipline among students.

Speaking on Channel One TV, Thomas Musah, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), did not hold back in his assessment of the situation.

“As a nation, character and conscience, we have lost it. We are now training people with knowledge, but for their character and conscience, we have lost it,” he lamented.

Musah recalled a time when schools upheld strict disciplinary measures, and teachers wielded authority without fear of backlash.

“When I was in elementary school, the headteacher was so empowered that no student could misbehave in the school. Parents could even come into the schools and report their wards to the teachers. Teachers, at the time, were empowered,” he noted.

However, he pointed out that the situation has drastically changed, with teachers now operating in fear of retaliation from both students and parents.

“Today, teachers have been disabled. There are instances where when things happen at the school, the children will go and inform their parents, and they will come to the school and beat up the teacher.

“So, when things happen, the teachers cannot talk because when they do, either the students or the parents will come after you.”

The increasing number of incidents involving student misconduct suggests a growing trend of disregard for authority in schools.

Educators and school administrators often find themselves unable to enforce discipline due to the fear of social backlash, legal implications, or confrontations with aggressive parents. This shift, Musah warns, poses a serious risk to the future of Ghanaian education and society at large.

“It looks like nobody cares, and we are saying that it is free for all. The earlier we come together and empower the headteachers and school administrators like it used to be, the better for all of us,” he urged.