The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed claims that students who engage in misconduct are no longer punished, insisting that disciplinary measures remain in force across schools and are applied in accordance with existing regulations.
The clarification follows comments by the Bono East Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), David Boakye, in a social media interview alleging that the GES no longer disciplines students for misconduct and that students are automatically promoted because class repetition has been abolished.
In a statement, the GES described the claims as “inaccurate” and said they “do not reflect the reality in our schools.”
The Service acknowledged that indiscipline, particularly in senior high schools, remains a serious challenge requiring stricter interventions, but stressed that disciplinary measures continue to be enforced under the GES Code of Conduct, school regulations, and existing education policies.
To support its position, the GES cited several recent disciplinary cases.
It said students involved in a 2025 assault on a teacher at Accra High School were withdrawn from the school, while students who assaulted one another during an inter-school sports competition at Swedru School of Business were also withdrawn.
The Service added that candidates of Kade Senior High School who assaulted a teacher during strict invigilation in the October 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were reported to the police, prosecuted, and sentenced.
“In many other separate incidents of reported cases of student misconduct, they were indefinitely suspended, fined by the courts, or sentenced to jail terms, while boarding students were deboardinised in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures. These demonstrate that student misconduct attracts sanctions,” the statement said.
The GES also rejected claims that repetition had been abolished in schools, describing them as misleading.
It explained that repetition remains available upon request by schools, noting that five final-year students of Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary repeated Form Three during the 2025/2026 academic year due to poor academic performance. It added that Opoku Ware Senior High School had also sought approval for some students to repeat due to unsatisfactory performance.
The Service said school disciplinary committees remain active and continue to implement recommendations in line with established regulations and due process.
It assured parents and the public that disciplinary standards had not been compromised and reaffirmed its commitment to producing graduates with strong academic competence, good character, and sound values.
