Dismissal of 8 Chiana SHS girls too heavy-handed – NUGS pleads for clemency

Following the dismissal of the 8 students of Chiana SHS, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is pleading for leniency for the affected girls.

The 8 students were captured on video using derogatory and unprintable words on the person of the President of the country, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. After the video went viral on social media, the identified students were initially suspended by the authorities and subsequently dismissed by the Ghana Education Service (GES).

After the news of their dismissal was made public, reactions to the dismissal have been a mixed one.

Whiles a section of the public believes the punishment meted out to these girls are deterrent enough, others believe it is very heavy-handed.

One of such groups that believes the decision by the GES is ruthless and merciless is the National Union of Ghana Students.

In a press sighted by Mx24online.com, NUGS explained that whiles they admit that punishments are meant to serve as deterrent, we should not lose focus of the key principle of punishment which is reformation.

Although NUGS unequivocally condemned the indiscipline of the students describing it as “odd and alien to our culture”, the students union is pleading that the GES Council, Ministry of Education and the Presidency intervene in the dismissal of these 8 students.

Parts of the NUGS statement signed by the President, Dennis Appiah Ampofo-Larbi read, “whiles the union admits the need for punishment to serve as a deterrent and also understands the benefits of same, we are also of the humble conviction that the principle of punishment has a key pillar of reformation. It is common African cultural knowledge that, the responsibility of raising a child is not the duty of one man, hence our collective obligation to help shape the young ones of our country in ways that evokes discipline still protects their future.”

“We believe that dismissal of these 8 young girls is overly heavy-handed and unfortunately has the potential to truncate and jeopardize their future. It is even more worrying knowing that almost all Senior High Schools are now managed by the Ghana Education Service and such a dismissal is almost an end to their high school education,” NUGS added.

Based on the these reasons, NUGS called “on the Ghana Education Service Council, the Ministry of Education and the Presidency to intervene for reconsideration of the decision to dismiss the 8 young girls” adding that other forms of reform coupled with extensive guidance and counseling which still provides deterrence but ensures reformation can be pursued