Member of Parliament for Chiana-Paga and a member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Nikyema Billa Alamzy, has intensified calls for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools as a measure to curb growing indiscipline among students.
Speaking in an interview on Channel One Newsroom on Wednesday, August 20, the legislator argued that the decision to abolish corporal punishment was misguided and that Ghana must establish clear policies to deal with misconduct in schools.
“I think we should establish clear policies to solve indiscipline in schools. We have to go back to corporal punishment. We always copied it wrongly. When we wanted to cancel it, we were citing America and other countries, but America has gone back. So we need to go back. We shouldn’t have even left in the first place,” Alamzy said.
He stressed that not every foreign practice is suitable for Ghana and that homegrown solutions should be prioritised. According to him, corporal punishment, when properly regulated, can deter bullying, harassment, and other forms of misconduct that have recently become widespread in schools.
His comments come in the wake of rising cases of indiscipline in senior high schools. A recent viral video showed a student of Accra Academy using a cutlass to flog two of his peers, sparking public outrage and renewed debate about discipline and character formation in the country’s educational institutions.
In another shocking incident, tensions gripped Kinbu Senior High School in Accra following the tragic death of a student, Addib Alhassan, who was fatally stabbed during an altercation reportedly stemming from a heated argument. The victim was rushed to the Adabraka Polyclinic and later referred to Ridge Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The MP underscored the need for strong preventive measures, including random searches in schools and stricter enforcement of discipline policies.
“We must educate our students not to be involved in bullying or harassment. We also have to make sure there is clear security in our schools to protect students,” he added.