Stop needless riots in schools

Student riots at the Bolgatanga Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper East Region following the death of a Form Three Business student at the Bolgatanga Government Hospital yesterday led to the deployment of policemen to maintain law and order in the school.

Some of the students, in the aftermath of their mate’s death, it is alleged, started hurling stones at some of the teachers of the school, while other students reportedly vandalised a vehicle and a shop belonging to the senior housemaster and his wife.

Master Emmanuel Bawa’s death is unfortunate and the Daily Graphic extends its condolence to all who are affected in one way or another by the incident, especially his family, his schoolmates, as well as the headmaster and staff of the school.

What we find equally unfortunate is the action of the students in resorting to rioting, destroying property and hurling stones at teachers as a means of expressing their grievance.

The right to demonstrate remains the right of any person or group of persons who may have very strong views about an issue and would, therefore, want to use the medium of demonstration to hammer home their point.

Indeed, student demonstrations date back several decades, sometimes over light issues such as the type of food served in the dining hall.

While some demonstrations were targeted at school authorities, there are records of student demonstrations that were directed at the government against policies perceived by the students to be inimical to their interests.

But demonstrations become unjustifiable when the demonstrators fail to address substantive issues through dialogue but rather adopt the destruction of property and threats to human lives as their modus operandi.

Clearly, the Daily Graphic cannot fathom the rationale behind the decision of the students of the Bolgatanga SHS to embark on the demonstration, but even if they had to, it was needless for them to have resorted to attacks and vandalism.

The Daily Graphic believes that police investigations will eventually bring the matter to rest, but those who may be found culpable ought to be made to face the music.

We find it difficult to draw conclusions and lay blame at the doorstep of any of the parties.

However, the Daily Graphic thinks the students did not exercise restraint in expressing their frustration at the sudden passing away of their mate.

Bawa’s death, painful as it was, did not require the level of destruction the students visited on property to assuage their pain.

We remind students that the government, their parents and guardians, who are sponsoring their education are under stress to raise the resources to do that.

Therefore, the Daily Graphic urges all students to avoid destroying public property in their attempt to voice out their grievances.

The best way to resolve a dispute is through dialogue and not violence.