Indiscipline Among Final-Year SHS Students: A Growing Menace Demanding Urgent Action

In recent years, indiscipline among final-year students in senior high schools (SHSs) has become a thorny issue that both school management and education stakeholders struggle to handle. What once used to be isolated cases of misconduct has now grown into a widespread problem, especially when students complete their registration to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Many final-year students appear to believe that registration for their final exams grants them immunity from serious disciplinary sanctions. The general perception is that, no matter the gravity of their misconduct, the worst punishment they might face is expulsion. Yet even in that case, they are often allowed to return and write their final papers. This loophole emboldens some students to engage in disrespect, absenteeism, truancy, and other forms of indiscipline with little regard for consequences.

The situation has far-reaching implications. It undermines the authority of school administrators, weakens discipline among the student body, and distracts those who genuinely want to learn. In the long run, it also compromises the overall learning environment, leaving teachers frustrated and students demoralised. Even schools that are widely respected for their strict discipline find themselves battling with this issue, sometimes compelled to suspend or dismiss final-year students who continually flout rules despite repeated warnings.

Ghana has in the past witnessed disturbing examples of final-year students engaging in indiscipline, sometimes leading to national debates. In August 2020, for instance, some WASSCE candidates vandalised school property in protest against what they described as “difficult exams” and strict invigilation. In certain schools, furniture, doors, and even school vehicles were destroyed in the chaos.

In some schools, students attacked invigilators and insulted government officials during the same examination period, with some videos going viral on social media. The government was forced to intervene, and some students were dismissed, although they were later pardoned to write their exams. In another case, students in some schools boycotted classes and staged violent demonstrations over “poor food quality” in dining halls. These instances highlight how indiscipline can easily escalate into full-blown crises when left unchecked.

Sometimes, students who are suspended indefinitely are forced to move off campus. Many of them rent rooms in nearby towns where they live unsupervised as they prepare for their exams. In such situations, the lack of guidance from teachers and parents often exposes these young people to negative social vices. Instead of dedicating themselves to their studies, some of them are lured into immoral acts, peer pressure, or even criminal activities. This creates a dangerous cycle: not only do they miss the structured learning environment of the school, but they also risk derailing their future prospects.

Education experts argue that the Ghana Education Service (GES), the government, parents, and school management must come together to fashion out lasting solutions to this chronic problem. Stronger disciplinary frameworks are needed to ensure that misconduct has real consequences, even after registration for final examinations.

Discipline and academics go hand in hand. We cannot pretend that a student who disregards rules will excel academically. Registration should never be a shield for indiscipline. We must reform policies to make it clear that expulsion or suspension can still stand even after registration.

Parents also have a crucial role to play. For many final-year students, parental control often declines once they near the end of their schooling. At the same time, school guidance and counselling departments must become more active in engaging final-year students through consistent sessions. Students need to be reminded that even after completing their programmes, they still require school recommendations to secure future opportunities, including jobs and scholarships. Such awareness could encourage them to take discipline more seriously, knowing that their conduct today can affect their future tomorrow.

Addressing this menace requires a multi-faceted approach. First, the GES must review policies that allow expelled students to freely return and write exams. Secondly, schools should strengthen mentorship and counselling programmes for final-year students to help them navigate the pressure of exams without resorting to indiscipline. Finally, parents must be more involved in monitoring their wards, even when they live off-campus.

The challenge of indiscipline in final-year SHS students is not insurmountable. But if left unchecked, it risks producing a generation of students who undermine authority and fail to balance freedom with responsibility. In the end, instilling discipline is just as important as academic success. Ghana cannot afford to compromise one at the expense of the other.


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