Lawyer and energy expert Lom-Nuku Ahlijah says declining supervision in schools is contributing to rising indiscipline among students in Ghana.
He made the comments following a recent incident at Ada Senior High Technical School, where four students were arrested after a viral video showed a student holding a cutlass and threatening colleagues.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on May 25, Mr Ahlijah said overcrowding in schools has made supervision more difficult for teachers.
Mr. Ahlijah linked the problem to the growing number of students under the Free SHS policy.
According to him, the increase in enrolment has not matched investment in infrastructure and staffing.
“Supervision is less than it used to be, and it is a fact we cannot run away from,” he said.
“That is the reality on many school campuses.”
He explained that teachers now struggle to monitor students properly because of the large class sizes.
Mr. Ahlijah stressed that parents still have the main responsibility for shaping their children’s behaviour.
“The primary responsibility for ensuring that students behave the way they are supposed to remains a parental responsibility,” he stated.
He warned parents against relying only on teachers to supervise students.
“If you are relying solely on a teacher to monitor your child in school, the reality is that you are not likely to get that level of attention,” he said.
He noted that many teachers are overstretched because of the increasing student population.
Mr. Ahlijah warned that violent incidents and indiscipline could continue unless major reforms are introduced in the education sector.
“That is why we are seeing more of these incidents,” he said.
He added that stronger investment in teachers, infrastructure and student supervision is needed to improve discipline in schools.
