The Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has disclosed that his Ministry and the management of the Ghana Education Service are looking at introducing a new discipline code in schools to help combat the recent high level of indiscipline among students.
During an interview with Hello Fm, the minister was asked that now that they have abolished corporal punishment in schools which has made teachers find it difficult to control the misbehavior of students in schools. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum said our culture does not teach us to beat students to correct their behaviors. He cited an example of whether people have ever seen someone who commit a crime being sent to the chief palace and the chief lashes him or her? He said the only thing that can correct a person’s behavior is through counseling.
He said throughout his primary to high school level he has not seen a teacher lashes students. He explained that the use of corporal punishment was introduced by the white people during colonization and when Ghana gained its independence we also adopted corporal punishment which is not doing us any good and needs to be stoped.
He said the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service is looking at putting up a counseling center in most of the public basic schools that when a student is spotted misbehaving a teacher can quickly write the name and report that student to the school counselor for counseling.
