The Ministry of Education has instructed teachers and school authorities across the country to closely monitor students and conduct thorough searches to help eradicate drug abuse in basic and secondary schools.

The Ministry’s instruction follows a recent report from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) suggesting that drug-related activities are increasingly being recorded within educational institutions.

Addressing the media on Thursday, June 25, Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, noted that “So, within our context, what we are doing through the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana TVET Service is to call on teachers to be very vigilant in monitoring the behaviours of their learners. And if necessary, they should search their bags.

“And remember that since we took over the reins of governance, as part of our efforts to re-instill discipline in our educational system, we have given managers of our secondary institutions, in particular, the full authority to search the luggage and other bags and trunks and chop boxes that students bring and have in their dormitories”.

In 2025, stakeholders bemoaned the growing indiscipline and insecurity on school campuses, prompting calls for an immediate intervention. They attributed teachers’ inability to punish students effectively as one of the factors contributing to the problem.

However, some critics have argued that the ban lacks legislative backing, as Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) still allows reasonable force for correction.

The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) conducted a study on indiscipline in Ghanaian senior high schools, published in November 2024. The research found that indiscipline had increased following the ban on corporal punishment.

They cited limited disciplinary options, overcrowding, and inadequate facilities coupled with their effects of reduced teacher authority and potential long-term consequences.

NAGRAT, however, issued a May 31 deadline ultimatum emphasizing its decision to introduce tough disciplinary measures to protect teachers.

Corporal punishment in Ghanaian schools was officially banned by the Ghana Education Service (GES) in 2017. The directive was reinforced in January 2019 when GES introduced a Positive Discipline Toolkit to guide teachers toward non-violent disciplinary methods.

The former Education Minister, Dr Yaw Adutwum, under the then Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, did not heed calls to revive corporal punishment, citing that the move was part of efforts to promote a safe and protective learning environment for students.

However, as part of efforts to strengthen discipline and ensure safety on school campuses, the Education Ministry under the incumbent government revived searches in basic and secondary schools last year.

The Deputy Minister for Education added that, "The minister has directed the director general of education to work with the current Education Service council to provide immediate additional interventions towards addressing this canker which clearly doesn't order well for teaching and learning even as we look forward to implementing recommendations as captured in the here yet to be published report of the national education forum".

Meanwhile, persistent assaults on teachers in some Senior High Schools (SHSs) have been reported. To address this, the Director-General of the GES has issued a directive empowering school authorities to immediately dismiss any student who attacks or causes physical injury of any kind to a teacher or any member of staff.

The Service also proposed that school authorities must be given the power to repeat students who have performed below the academic threshold without recourse to higher authority.

The National Council of NAGRAT calls on the Director-General of GES to make these pronouncements public by the 31st of May, 2025.If by the 1st of June, 2025, the GES fails to make these pronouncements, Council mandates the leadership of the Union to start a series of actions that will ensure that teachers are protected in our schools.

NAGRAT continued that schools are gradually becoming unsafe for both students and teachers, likewise with the alarming presence of weapons such as guns and machetes.

Citing examples, NAGRAT mentioned Mr. Walter Yesotor Adanunyo of Christian Methodist High School, who was attacked for preventing students from cheating during exams, and Mr. Ebenezer Kateya of Accra High School, who was assaulted for enforcing dress code rules.The group also referenced a student at OKESS who was recently caught with a firearm.

NAGRAT attributed the rise in violence to several key issues: Admission of students who failed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Political interference in school disciplinary processes, and the inability of school authorities to repeat underperforming students.

Bureaucratic challenges in removing disruptive students“The situation is deteriorating fast. If not addressed, we fear we will soon hear of deaths, rape, and extreme violence in our schools,” the statement warned.