PCG Moderator calls for end to school violence
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye has expressed grave concern about the rising incidents of violence in second-cycle schools, describing it as a threat to educational development.
He said the current trend in schools where students, at the least provocation, went on a rampage to destroy properties and physically attack others was a clear danger for discipline with farreaching repercussion on both the perpetrators and victims.
“Some may see their actions as youthful exuberance, but it is a danger to educational development.
“While victims are left traumatised and often live with the long-term impact, those who carry out such acts of violence are not spared either, because when they are found out, they are dismissed, and that affects their education.
Again, if not checked, they could carry such behaviour into adulthood, and the society suffers,” Rt Rev. Opare Kwakye explained.
Pastoral visits
He was speaking while addressing some students during his pastoral visits to some Presbyterian schools in the Central and Brong Ahafo Presbyteries.
Among the schools he visited were the Nsaba Presbyterian Senior High School, as well as Presbyterian Senior High Schools in Bechem and Techimantia, respectively.
The visits reaffirmed the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s commitment to holistic education, integrating faith, moral values and academic excellence.
Discipline
The Moderator reminded students that discipline is not merely about rules but about shaping character and preparing for responsible citizenship.
He stressed the need for schools to remain safe spaces for learning, growth, and fellowship, warning against the rising trend of violence and misconduct among young people.
Rt. Rev. Opare Kwakye said discipline was integral to education, adding that although Presbyterian schools were not involved in the recent school violence in the news, there was a need to speak against it, and also join forces to curb the menace.
“Violence destroys futures,” he cautioned, urging students to embrace respect, tolerance and reconciliation as hallmarks of Christian education.
He encouraged teachers to model integrity and patience, stressing that their role extended beyond academics to shaping the moral fibre of society.
He also called on parents to reinforce discipline at home, creating a partnership that would ensure children grow into responsible adults.
“Charity, it is said, begins at home, and parents and guardians must be worried about the attitude and behaviour of their wards when they are out.
In our culture, it is believed that the behaviour of a child out of the home is a reflection of the upbringing they are receiving at home, so as parents and guardians, we must do well to raise them well, regardless of the circumstances we face,” the PCG Moderator stressed.
The students expressed appreciation for the Moderator’s counsel, noting that his words were both inspiring and challenging as they pledged to uphold discipline and contribute to peaceful school environments.
