The Ministry of Education has directed senior high school (SHS) authorities to properly document and report through the Ghana Education Service (GES) structures all incidents of vandalism by final-year students who completed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates (SC) for the necessary investigations and action.
It charged the authorities to “Please report these to the GES headquarters through the school boards and regional education directorates”
Warning
“The Ministry of Education wishes to warn all final-year senior high school students across the country who completed the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) that vandalism and the deliberate destruction of school property by some students will not go unpunished.
“Our schools are spaces where we nurture responsible citizens and future leaders. Destroying school property, disrupting facilities, and celebrating indiscipline is not the kind of conduct we expect from young people preparing to take up leadership responsibilities in our country. This is certainly not the kind of future leaders we want to be grooming,” the
Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, said in a statement to the Daily Graphic.
It said the Ministry of Education would want students across the country to celebrate the completion of their examinations responsibly and to remember that their actions have lasting consequences.
“We also call on parents, teachers and school authorities to continue instilling values of discipline, respect and civic responsibility in our young people. It remains our collective responsibility to safeguard our schools and protect the investments made for future generations,” it emphasised.
Facilities
The ministry reminded all students that school facilities and infrastructure were public assets provided through substantial investments by the government and the Ghanaian taxpayer to support teaching and learning, adding that acts such as the destruction of classroom furniture, dormitory facilities, doors, windows, electrical installations, sanitation facilities, and other school property were unacceptable and would not be tolerated.
“The ministry, by this release, directs school authorities to properly document and report through GES structures all incidents of vandalism for the necessary investigations and action,” it said and that it “remains committed to protecting educational infrastructure and ensuring that school facilities remain available and in good condition for future generations of learners”.
Final-year students
Some final-year SHS students have developed the attitude of destroying school property due to an action taken by authorities to instil discipline, knowing that they would be leaving the institution after writing their final examination.
Last week, for instance, final-year students of the Bawku SHS, angry over strict enforcement of WASSCE rules, turned on their teachers, vandalised school property, burnt motorbikes, destroyed electricity meters and water lines, and ransacked staff residences.
Two teachers were assaulted; one with severe injuries was referred to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.
Security was subsequently beefed up on the school’s premises while investigations commenced to identify and arrest culprits following the June 15, 2026, dawn student rampage.
