Harmonised code of conduct must work

Disciplinary issues and the general conduct of students have always been a major headache for managers of schools in the country.

This is because discipline promotes academic growth and fosters good citizenship.

Over the years, individual schools had adopted various disciplinary codes in their bid to deal with erring students.

They had discretionary powers to punish students who came into conflict with school rules and regulations.

In such circumstances, it was possible that two students who committed the same offence could receive different levels of punishment, depending on the mood of the official administering the punishment.

It is to cure such discretionary powers of school authorities and ensure that the offence and the punishment are in tandem that the Ghana Education Service (GES) has approved a Code of Conduct for students at the pre-tertiary level of education in the country.

The code seeks to serve as a guide and reference material to promote and maintain discipline at the pre-tertiary level of education.

The good thing about the code is that it outlines the offences and their corresponding sanctions.

This ensures a clear application of the code, devoid of ambiguity.

The sanctions, which range from caution, counselling, manual work, demotion in the case of prefects to internal and external suspension, and, in the extreme cases, outright dismissal are clearly very punitive.

The Daily Graphic expects all schools to make this code of conduct available to all students so that they take responsibility of their actions and inaction.

 In fact, the code should be made available to parents and guardians as well, so that they do not support their children and wards blindly when they fall on the wrong side of the law.

The Daily Graphic believes that if followed to the letter, this code will bring about peace, harmony and a conducive environment for students and the entire school community.

The Daily Graphic applauds the GES for, once again, adopting yet another important document to regulate the general conduct of students in school.

A similar document was adopted during the last quarter of last year, the harmonised prospectus, to ensure that school authorities do not have the discretionary powers to impose excessive demands on freshers enrolling in their schools.

The harmonised documents are necessary to inject discipline and ensure conformity in the management of schools, especially public schools under the GES.

We urge the various heads of schools to ensure that this uniform disciplinary code is strictly adhered to.

The heads must ensure the harmonised code works.

They should strictly implement it and resist any attempt by parents or influential individuals to render it ineffective.

Heads of schools should spare themselves sanctions, including interdictions associated with the insistence of applying the disciplinary measures in their schools instead of the newly introduced harmonised one.

We advise the heads to conform in the interest of peace and harmony.

 Currently, some heads of senior high schools are on interdiction and are being investigated because they were alleged to have gone against the application of the harmonised National Prospectus.

This will be a blot on their long-standing reputation, dignity and professional integrity, even if they are cleared.

Heads of schools must avoid such pitfalls and operate within their boundaries, according to the directives of the GES.

We are happy that stakeholders such as the teacher unions were consulted in the roundup to the adoption of the code.

This ensures the buy-in of the implementers of the code.

The various union executive should encourage their members to abide by the code to ensure peace and tranquillity on the educational front.

No head of school should give the GES the unpleasant duty of cracking the whip.

It is better to obey than be disgraced.