Nation Address: Akufo-Addo fails to comment on indiscipline among final year SHS students

President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo on Sunday, August 16, 2020, delivered his 15th National Address on the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

Before his address, some Ghanaians were looking out for his comment on the height of indiscipline that was demonstrated by some WASSCE candidates, as he prefers to call them the “Akufo-Addo graduates”.

The president has continuously, sent out well wishes to final year students in his National address since the commencement of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) but that was not so during his Sunday address.

Akufo- Addo also announced that public and private final year Junior High School students will receive one hot meal each day starting August 24 to 18th September. He added that staff and non-teaching staff will also be included in the distribution of food to ensure the “full observance of the COVID-19 safety protocols”.

His silence is one that cannot be overlooked considering the pride and hope he had expressed in the first batch of Free Senior High School students.

The viral video that saw a final year student of the Sekondi College in the Western Region raining insults on President Akufo-Addo was one that was greatly condemned.

It took the timely intervention of the president to convince the Ghana Education Service to allow all 14 final year students who were dismissed on the grounds of indiscipline and violence to partake in the ongoing exams.

A statement signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin on Auguat 9, 2020 read, "even though the acts of indiscipline undertaken by these students are intolerable, acts which have led to their subsequent dismissal from school, President Akufo-Addo is of the firm view that dismissal alone is enough punishment, and will serve as enough deterrent against future acts of indiscipline".

Students are sitting for their Core Mathematics exams today, Monday, August 17, 2020, and as expected, Ghanaians, as well as stakeholders, are on the lookout for the aftermath of the paper.

Acts of violence have been characterized with this year’s WASSCE where some students have demonstrated on the back of what they call "strict invigilation" from teachers.