The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the National Inspectorate Board to strictly enforce the ban on mobile phone usage in schools.
He is also calling for tighter regulations to curb the growing trend of students carrying weapons to schools.
Addressing members of the governing boards for the National Inspectorate Board and the National Curriculum and Assessment Board in Accra, the Minister described the issue of students carrying weapons as a growing threat to safety in schools.
He noted that such students pose a serious risk to their peers, creating an unsafe learning environment.
The use of mobile phones by students on school campuses was also flagged as a major concern, one that has not received adequate enforcement despite existing education regulations that ban it.
“We expect that parents will cooperate with school management and heads in ensuring and facilitating discipline. It is not about the student holding the weapon but the danger of what he can use the weapon for on the innocent person who is undergoing his career development who will fall victim to that unacceptable behaviour,” the Education Minister said.
Haruna Iddrisu noted that “in order to protect others, you have the authority to secure the safety and security of the students, so Board, you are clothed with the mandate to enforce discipline.”
“I am concerned lately about the growing number of phone cheating when it comes to conduct of examinations, It is becoming common, we need to enforce the ban on the use of phones, examiners and supervisors who use phones are sometimes those who are aiding the students to cheat in exams. Therefore, we have to regulate who can carry phone into the exam hall,” he explained.
The Minister also emphasized the importance of a standardized textbook policy to improve the quality of education delivery across the country.
“We intend to introduce artificial intelligence and coding at the pre tertiary level, beginning from early primary school, we also intend to launch young academic skills which will train the young ones in patriotism and responsibility,” he said.
According to him, “we must also inculcate foundational learning, national culture and values, basic life skills, emphasis on numeracy and literacy. Even I have said foundational learning should not only be numeracy and literacy, the social learning is equally important, so that they become responsible citizens,” he noted.
Stakeholders in education have welcomed the call and are expected to begin rolling out new measures in the coming weeks.
