Former Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency. Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says many teachers across the country are frustrated by growing indiscipline in schools but feel too intimidated to speak up.
During his submission on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Friday, October 3, Ni Lante Vanderpuye revealed that his interactions with teachers show widespread dissatisfaction with the current state of discipline in schools.
“I talked to a lot of teachers during the campaign. I interacted with a lot of them and they are not comfortable with the environment, but they can’t talk about it,” he said.
Nii Lante Vanderpuye, who described himself as a worried parent, said teachers have lost authority in the classroom due to policies that restrict how they can discipline students.
“This has led to serious breakdown of discipline in most of our schools because students are now doing things and they go away with it. Teachers cannot accept their responsibility and mandate the way they’re supposed to,” he lamented.
He blamed the problem partly on the removal of corporal punishment from the school system, arguing that it has made it difficult for teachers to maintain order.
The former MP urged government and education stakeholders to revisit the issue and open a national dialogue on how to restore respect and discipline in the classroom.
“We must have a whole general discussion about education again,” he said.
According to him, addressing teachers’ fears and giving them stronger support systems is key to rebuilding discipline across the education sector.
