Former National President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Rev. Isaac Owusu, has reiterated that Ghana is governed by the rule of law, warning that no individual has the authority to take matters into their own hands, regardless of the circumstances.
His comments follow recent developments at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), where some students allegedly assaulted the headmaster of the institution.
Speaking on Rainbow Radio’s flagship news programme, Nyankonton Mu Nsem, Rev. Owusu condemned the violent outbreak, emphasizing that the Ghana Education Service (GES) had already instituted proper investigations into the matter. He stressed that even if the headmaster had acted improperly, the students had absolutely no right to stage an attack or mete out jungle justice.
“Ghana is governed by laws, and so if people break the law, nobody—whether a student, teacher, or parent—has the right to take the law into their own hands,” Rev. Owusu declared. “What the students did was unlawful and must be punished.”
The former GNAT leader expressed grave concern over the rising tide of indiscipline and student-led violent attacks across secondary schools in the country. He warned that if authorities fail to deal decisively with the menace, a crisis could emerge where educators refuse to teach out of fear for their safety.
“What is happening across the country will get to the point where no teacher would want to teach,” he cautioned. “These attacks have become one too many, and it is about time we deal with the challenge head-on.”
Rev. Owusu observed that modern approaches to student upbringing and school management have eroded strict disciplinary measures, making it increasingly difficult to hold learners accountable for misconduct.
Addressing wider ethical standards within the education sector, he cautioned teachers against engaging in intimate relationships with students, pointing out that such acts constitute a direct breach of professional and ethical guidelines.
He called on all stakeholders—including students, teachers, parents, and educational authorities—to step up and fulfill their respective roles in restoring law, order, and morality across educational institutions in Ghana.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
