Former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has called on the government to abolish the public-school boarding system, stating that it contributes to children picking up social vices.

This call comes in response to a viral video showing a student from Adisadel College in Cape Coast assaulting a fellow student over a disagreement about a mobile phone sim. Both the perpetrator and the victim have been suspended by the school authorities.

Speaking t the media, Professor Adei expressed his belief that the boarding school system has lost its relevance in today's context, especially with the implementation of Free Senior High School (SHS) education.

“I think that it was quite a useful means of training a few elites, what has happened over time is that, boarding school as the main vehicle of training children, when especially today we have free SHS, we have to scrap the boarding system in SHSs and make it local.”

“Once we have reached a certain level, boarding school as a public means of education is a no, no. I tell you at this moment that people in boarding schools are likely to pick more anti-social things including lesbianism, occultism than before,” Adei said.

He suggested that boarding schools should be transformed into local schools, as the previous model was only useful for training a few elites.

He went on to assert that boarding schools, as a public means of education, are no longer suitable. According to him, children in boarding schools are more likely to be influenced by anti-social behaviors such as lesbianism and occultism.

On the other hand, management consultant Kobina Atta-Badu disagreed with Professor Adei's stance.

He argued that boarding schools play a crucial role in training children and promoting tribal cohesion.

At a young age, students from various regions of the country come together to live in one place, fostering bonds and friendships that transcend ethnic and tribal barriers.

Atta-Badu emphasized that the benefits of boarding schools extend beyond the individual level, contributing to national unity and social cohesion.

The debate highlights the different perspectives on the relevance and impact of the boarding school system in Ghana's education landscape.