The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to introduce a mandatory daily anti-drug awareness message in all pre-tertiary schools as part of intensified efforts to curb substance abuse among schoolchildren.
The directive forms part of a nationwide Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) Campaign launched by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
The initiative is aimed at tackling the growing incidence of drug abuse in schools while promoting safe, healthy, and disciplined learning environments.
Under the new directive, which takes immediate effect, students in all public pre-tertiary schools will recite an approved anti-drug campaign message during morning assemblies immediately after the National Anthem and before the National Pledge.
The campaign message will be delivered in a call-and-response format, with the leader saying, “Don’t start it as a greeting,” to which students will respond, “To live in regret.”
According to the Ministry, the daily recitation is a key component of a broader national Behavioural Change Communication Strategy designed to discourage drug use among school-aged children, strengthen preventive education and encourage responsible decision-making among learners.
Beyond the daily assemblies, the anti-drug campaign will be reinforced through sustained public education, school-based sensitisation programmes, stakeholder engagement and closer collaboration among educational institutions, parents, community leaders and other key partners.
The Ministry of Education said the initiative reflects government’s proactive commitment to protecting learners from the harmful effects of substance abuse and safeguarding their wellbeing.
It further called on parents, teachers, community leaders and all stakeholders to support the nationwide campaign to eliminate drug abuse from Ghana’s schools and create a healthier learning environment for students.
