Following the dismissal of 14 final year students who were involved in riots and vandalism at their respective exams centers, the National Union of Ghana Students is calling for the reconsideration of the decision by GES. NUGS has described this decision as ‘harsh’.
In a statement published earlier by the Ghana Education Service, they said the punishment is meant to deter other students from indulging in similar acts in the near future.
However, NUGS, on the 8th of August has also released a statement condemning the acts of the students.
“NUGS acknowledges concerns of examination malpractices and other acts of indiscipline by some students in the ongoing WASSCE exams. Such acts contradict the values and principles of the Union; the Union unequivocally condemns any act of indiscipline on our campuses thereof,” the statement said.
NUGS further noted that: “Such acts of indiscipline have no place in our institutions of training and should not be coming from students who are being trained to be the future leaders of this country.” This statement was signed by its General Secretary Divine Edem Kwadzodeh and issued by its Secretary for Press, Obed Yaw Osei.
Stated also in the statement was an appeal made by the union to GES.
“take cognisance of the times we find ourselves and its already undesirable consequence on students i.e. the COVID-19 pandemic and its psychological effects on students.
“That the punitive measure of dismissing the students from the schools and barring them from continuing with the examinations which they have already started is too harsh and should be reconsidered. The Union believes that punitive measures should be meant to reform recalcitrant students, and not to have consequences that may jeopardize their educational future,” the statement said.
The statement again stated that, “the management of the schools and the Ghana Education Service should exact other punitive measures for these students and allow them to complete their studies and examinations.”
NUGS also advised all final year student to comply with rules and regulations and should not rely on any supposed ‘apor’.