Don't blame students for violence - NUGS

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has blamed the recent indiscipline and rioting in Senior High School on the examples set by adults in the society.

President of the Union, Isaac Jay Hyde, speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning show opined that many of the children imitate how certain adults express their thoughts in a verbally abusive manner on radio or TV.

“Children a reflection of the society. Children pick certain habits from adults. In our society, we have agents of socialization that influence the growth of a person which include churches, media, family and friends. These children are imitating what they are seeing in the environment. So for example some people who have media time and verbally abuse others or authorities expose the children to all these things”, he said.

Proposing a solution to this problem, Isaac noted that we, as a country, must have a holistic conversation on what we allow on our airwaves. “As a country we need to holistically look at the area of children imitating adults in this respects for us to make a change as this is having a negative effect on our children. We need to have a conversation on why we do not need certain things on our airwaves”, he added.

A statement which was signed by NUGS General Secretary, Edem Divine Kwadzodeh, has indicated that the Union is set to embark on a sensitization exercise dubbed ‘Discipline Campaign’ in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and other relevant stakeholders.

This follows the dismissal of fourteen (14) West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates from their various Senior High Schools as a result of engaging in violent acts after strict invigilation and social distancing in examination halls during their West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).