The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced a series of emergency education and safety interventions following violent attacks on senior high schools in northern Ghana. The attacks have led to multiple fatalities, injuries, and the temporary closure of affected schools.
The affected institutions—Bawku Senior High School, Nalerigu SHS, and Zuarungu SHS—were shut down after separate incidents involving deadly shootings, which left several students dead and others injured, alongside significant property damage.
According to a press release issued on July 29, 2025, the GES condemned the attacks as “tragic and disruptive” to academic life. The Service extended condolences to grieving families and expressed solidarity with affected students, teachers, and non-teaching staff.
GES Emergency Measures: Exam Centers and Mental Health Support
As part of its emergency response plan, the GES—working with the Ministry of Education, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and local education authorities—has relocated final-year SHS 3 students to safer locations to enable them to continue writing the WASSCE examinations under secure conditions.
“Special examination centers will be established, and psychosocial support services will be provided to affected students to aid in their recovery,” the statement noted.
For SHS 1 and SHS 2 students, the GES is exploring remote learning options via digital platforms and community-based study models to ensure continuity of education while school campuses undergo safety assessments.
Tragic Losses and Ongoing Conflict
Among the casualties was final-year student Hakim Kundima, who was reportedly fatally shot at Bawku SHS, while two students were gunned down in their dormitory at Nalerigu SHS. The attacks occurred over the weekend and have been linked to the long-standing ethnic conflict between the Kusasis and Mamprusis in the Bawku area.
This protracted ethnic violence continues to destabilize parts of the Upper East and North East Regions, with schools and students increasingly caught in the crossfire.
Call for Peace and Protection of Educational Institutions
The GES acknowledged the swift evacuation efforts led by the Ministry of the Interior and Ghana’s security agencies, and pledged continued collaboration to strengthen school security and student protection.
“Our schools must be places of peace, discipline, and safety—not battlegrounds,” the GES emphasized.
The Service also called on traditional authorities, parents, local leaders, and civil society organizations to support peacebuilding efforts in northern Ghana, stressing the urgent need to shield students from violence and trauma.
Source: A1RadioOnline.com | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
