Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, Founder and CEO of the Orpington Group, has commended the Ghana Education Service (GES) for swiftly activating the Education in Emergency Contingency Plan (2023‑2026) in response to the tragic shooting at Bawku Senior High School.

Last week, a final‑year student identified as Hakim Kundima was killed on campus as armed assailants scaled the school wall and entered dormitories to carry out a targeted attack amid escalating chieftaincy conflict in the region.

Following the incident, the Bawku Municipal Education Directorate ordered an immediate shutdown of the school on 27 July due to mounting safety concerns.

Responding to the closure, Dr Tandoh expressed relief that GES leadership had conclusively heeded the call to put the emergency education framework into action.

“I am heartened by the prompt action taken by the Ghana Education Service in activating measures to safeguard learners and staff.”

In an article published on 28 July titled “Bawku’s Unfinished Lessons: The Urgent Call to Activate Ghana’s Education in Emergency Plan for Continued Learning,” he emphasised the urgency of immediate implementation of the contingency plan to protect academic continuity for final-year students preparing for critical exams.

Read Also: Bawku’s Unfinished Lessons: The urgent call to activate Ghana’s education in emergency plan for continued learning

“The commitment to ensuring the safety and continued learning of students and staff, particularly the final-year students facing imminent examinations, is refreshing, especially in the face of adversity.”

The Education in Emergency Contingency Plan (2023‑2026), developed jointly by the Ministry of Education and GES, offers a comprehensive framework designed to maintain learning in times of crisis. Key focus areas include coordination, preparedness, equitable access, mental health support and systemic resilience.

To support the implementation, Dr Tandoh has offered to provide GES leadership and the general public with the full document.

“I offer this document as a readily available resource, should copies not be immediately accessible to all relevant personnel.”

He also pledged ongoing collaboration with GES, the Ministry of Education, and stakeholders to ensure effective activation of the plan.

“I stand ready to collaborate … to ensure the effective implementation of this plan, thereby safeguarding the academic future and well‑being of all Ghanaian learners and educators.”

Dr Tandoh’s intervention and GES’s rapid response mark a critical juncture in Ghana’s approach to handling education disruptions in emergencies, with renewed hope that learning continuity can be preserved even in the aftermath of unrest.

Click HERE for the link to the document: