Educationist Nii Armah Addy has called for strict background checks to be conducted before students are admitted into senior high schools.
His comments follow the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old first-year student Addib Alhassan at Kinbu Senior High School on July 31. He was killed during an altercation reportedly sparked by a heated argument with a classmate.
Speaking on Campus Exclusive on Radio Univers, Nii Addy stressed that the application process should include thorough vetting so students’ backgrounds can be monitored and proper supervision placed on individuals who may pose risks.
“We have to do a holistic assessment of students and where they’re coming from, so that we know how to keep a steady eye on them,” he said. “If we take anybody in from anywhere and do not know the mix of the community, it becomes very problematic.”
He also called for tougher penalties for students who show early signs of violent behaviour.
“There must be stringent punishments,” he said. “The little negative signs you see students exhibit—you need to punish them. Nobody should feel bad for punishing a student for an offence that did not exist at the time it was committed. We need to come back, look at the regulations, and put proper sanctions in place for people who go against them.”
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Story by Anita Azawodie|univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Michelle Lartey
