Frimpong Manso Institute (FMI), an apolitical, faith-based Christian Think-Tank, has advocated a stronger religious and moral education in Schools in order to tackle the growing student indiscipline.
This is contained in a statement issued on September 3.
The statement comes in the wake of a clash between students at Okwapeman SHS and Mount Sinai SHS in the Eastern Region.
“Ghanaians are shell-shocked by the extent of violent clashes between students of Okuapeman and Mount Sinai Senior High Schools in the Eastern Region which left school facilities burnt or vandalized.
What makes the incident more shocking is the alleged involvement of teachers who instigated the students to inflict mayhem on their counterparts. Frimpong Manso Institute (FMI) commends the police for acting swiftly and professionally to arrest a number of students while investigations intensify to arrest more suspected students and teachers,” the Institute stated.
According to FMI, “The latest incident is symptomatic of the degree of moral decay and indiscipline in our schools which can spell doom for the present and future generations of students.
It therefore called on relevant authorities to “deal surgically with the perpetrators of violence in senior high schools. Teachers whose incredibly rotten behaviors fuel such violence most be publicly exposed and severely punished to deter others from toeing their abhorrent ways.”
The Institute welcomed moves by the Ministry of Education to infuse character development in curricula of basic institutions up to the SHS level.
“In Proverbs 9:10, the Bible points out that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” We strongly hold the view that any attempt to revise the curricula in reference will be meaningless if it lacks the spiritual imperative to instill the fear of God in our children through the re- introduction of moral and religious education,” Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, President of the Institute wrote.
“Frimpong Manso Institute also lends its fullest support to plans to review the punishment regime to empower the Ghana Education Service to deal effectively with the crisis of indiscipline in our basic schools,” the Statement concluded.
