For proper management of schools, school heads must focus on improving the quality and quantity of meals given to students, ensure proper teaching and learning activities, and include sporting and entertainment activities. Once all these factors are properly managed and highly featured in the lives of second cycle students, there will be a minimal incidence of conflicts.
Chairman of the Peace Education Sub-committee and member of the Regional Peace Council, Sir Alfred Ndago, said this in a recent interview with Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show.
Sir Ndago expressed concern about the continuous increase in school riots since 2014, noting that some key contributions to properly managing a school were often ignored.
“These three key situations in the school, when they are well handled, the head [of the school] does not have a problem. When they are not well handled, the head would be grappling with problems. I’ll give you an example, if there is a regional sports competition and the team of a particular school is not provided with an outfit that is reasonable, they appear at the ground of the competition, and they look at other institutions, and they are splendid. Even spectators from the school would be asking, why did our head or administration do this? They go back and it’ll be an issue in the school. If the head doesn’t take time, he is likely to have problems with the students for not clothing them well for sports,” he said.
Additionally, Sir Ndago explained that if relationships between teachers and students, students and school management, teachers and school management, and among the students themselves are not properly managed, there could be violent incidents recorded in the schools.
Background
The escalation of school riots at the second cycle level has become a matter of great concern for parents, education managers, school administrators and security services. The Upper East Region has been in the spotlight since 2014 due to the increasing trend of school riots in the area.
A recent desktop study conducted by the Upper East Regional Peace Council since 2014 has revealed that almost every public second cycle school in the region has reported at least one riot.
Between 2020 and 2023, riots were reported in Sandema Senior High School (SANSEC), St Bernadette Technical Institute in Navrongo, Fumbisi Agricultural SHS, Kongo Senior High School in the Nabdam District, Bawku Technical Institute, Bolgatanga Technical Institute and Zebilla Senior High Technical. During this period, some of these schools have reported more than two riots.
These riots have resulted in the destruction of school and personal property, the loss of study time, and negative publicity for the schools involved and the region as a whole.
In 2019, following the closure of three Senior High Schools as a result of student riots and clashes, the then regional minister, Madam Tangoba Abayage, called for a crisis meeting with heads of schools to deliberate on measures to curb the phenomenon. Her successor, Stephen Yakubu, inherited the problem and expressed concern about the negative image that such riots were giving to the region.
The prevalence of school riots is a worrying trend that needs urgent attention to ensure the safety and well-being of students and the wider community, the Upper East Regional Peace Council has said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
