The attention of leadership of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been drawn to the dismissal of the 8 students from Chiana Senior High School for the use of derogatory and unprintable words on the person of the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo. As the representatives of the over 10 million students in Ghana, we wish to issue this statement to the general public, the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Education and the Presidency.
CONDEMNATION OF ACTIONS BY THE STUDENTS
We want to clearly and unequivocally state that the union condemns every aspect of the actions of these students and believes that such indiscipline acts are at odds and alien to our culture. It is even more worrying when it is targeted at the elderly and in this situation the President of the Republic. It is indeed disgraceful and unacceptable!
PLEAD FOR CLEMENCY
Whiles the union admits the need for punishment to serve as a deterrent and also understands the benefits of same, we are also of the humble conviction that the principle of punishment has a key pillar of reformation. It is common African cultural knowledge that, the responsibility of raising a child is not the duty of one man, hence our collective obligation to help shape the young ones of our country in ways that evokes discipline still protects their future.
We believe that dismissal of these 8 young girls is overly heavy-handed and unfortunately has the potential to truncate and jeopardize their future. It is even more worrying knowing that almost all Senior High Schools are now managed by the Ghana Education Service and such a dismissal is almost an end to their high school education.
We hereby call on the Ghana Education Service Council, the Ministry of Education and the Presidency to intervene for reconsideration of the decision to dismiss the 8 young girls.
Other forms of reform coupled with extensive guidance and counseling which still provides deterrence but ensures reformation can be pursued.
Once again, we want to reiterate that we support disciplinary actions but not that which ultimately ends the dreams of young people.
In ending, we humbly remind us all that “the mess of a child on a parent’s lap is washed off rather than the thigh being cut off.”
Yours in Students Service.