Social media and drug use fuelling school indiscipline,  Apaak says

Deputy Education Minister has blamed the growing problem of student indiscipline on the negative influence of social media, mobile phone misuse and the use of narcotics among young people.

Dr Clement Apaak's comments come after the alleged assault of the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School by students following claims that a baby's body had been buried on the school campus.

The Ministry of Education has ordered the Ghana Education Service (GES) to investigate the incident and temporarily closed the school, saying anyone found responsible will face appropriate sanctions.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Dr Apaak said exposure to harmful online content was influencing the behaviour of some young people.

"Students are able to see all manner of behaviours, no matter how condemnable and abhorrent, both from within the jurisdiction and beyond," he said.

He said some students were beginning to believe they could copy such behaviour without facing consequences.

The deputy minister also raised concerns about the increasing use of narcotics and unapproved substances among young people, warning that the issue was affecting students at different levels of education.

"We also have the incessant danger of the use of narcotics and other unapproved medical substances. This is a very serious issue that is also plaguing our youth," he said.

Dr Apaak said some products marketed as energy drinks could contain combinations of substances capable of affecting young people's behaviour.

He also identified peer pressure as another factor contributing to misconduct, saying a small number of students could influence others to participate in disruptive behaviour.

"Sometimes just one or two students who have decided that they don't want to be up to any good take advantage of the smallest trigger to misconduct themselves and then influence other perhaps well-meaning students to participate," he said.

The deputy minister urged parents to take a more active role in monitoring their children's behaviour and avoid defending them automatically when allegations of misconduct arise.

He said education should focus not only on academic achievement but also on character development and responsible citizenship.

The comments follow growing concerns about discipline in some Ghanaian senior high schools after a series of incidents involving violence, vandalism and clashes between students and school authorities.

Authorities are continuing investigations into the Obuasi incident, while discussions continue about how schools can better address student behaviour and welfare.