The National Peace Council (NPC) has called on students to reject violence and embrace non-violent approaches to resolving grievances as part of efforts to curb rising incidents in senior high schools (SHSs).
Speaking at the Kanda Technical Institute in Accra last Tuesday to mark the conclusion of the NPC’s second-cycle school violence prevention and sensitisation programme, a Governing Board Member, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, urged students to prioritise discipline, respect authority, and show tolerance towards one another.
“Discipline is the bridge between your aims and your goals in life,” Sheikh Shaibu told the students and advised them to make careful choices to fully benefit from the investment made in their education.
The Director of Capacity Development and Outreach at the NPC, Janet Sarney-Kuma, educated the students on the Council’s mandate and emphasised core values such as peace, tolerance, discipline, respect, cooperation and non-violence to promote peaceful coexistence in schools.
Managing conflicts
She outlined practical conflict-management strategies and highlighted the causes, consequences and societal impact of disputes.
Mrs Sarney-Kuma encouraged the students to become advocates and ambassadors of peace in their institutions.
The Principal of Kanda Technical Institute, Emily Akua Sam, thanked the NPC delegation for the engagement and stressed the importance of promoting peace.
She expressed optimism about sustaining collaboration with the Council to sensitise students to peaceful coexistence.
Rationale
The NPC’s campaign was launched in response to a recent surge in school violence that has resulted in injuries, deaths, and destruction of property.
The initiative, led by the Directorate of Capacity Development and Outreach of the NPC, targeted selected senior high and technical schools in the Greater Accra Region.
Through the programme, the Council engaged 15 schools and reached more than 22,500 students, equipping both students and school authorities with tools to prevent and manage conflicts, address root causes of violence, and foster a culture of tolerance for safer learning environments.
