The Executive Director of the Institute for Education Services (IFEST), Dr. Peter Anti, has urged the Ministry of Education to take proactive measures beyond simply requesting investigations following a series of violent incidents involving senior high school students in the Central Region.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Dr. Anti said the repeated outbreaks of violence indicate that the problem extends beyond the oversight capacity of the Ghana Education Service and requires a coordinated approach involving parents, schools, and authorities.

"The Minister of Education should not only hide behind letters asking for an investigation into these issues, but they should tell us what they are doing to contain the situation and prevent future escalation,” he said.

Dr. Anti stressed the role of parents and guardians in shaping students’ behaviour. He noted that while schools and authorities can guide and discipline students, parents are ultimately responsible for their wards’ conduct.

“You need the PTA to also come in and assist the teachers and the school authorities to instill some level of discipline,” he said. “Parents should take responsibility for the behaviour of their wards. If your child is involved in this, it reflects on the kind of training you are offering your child and, by extension, the future generation.”

His remarks follow condemnation from the Deputy Minister for Education, Clement Apaak, who described the incidents as “disturbing acts of violence” after videos of students physically assaulting one another went viral over the weekend.

The footage, captured in separate incidents at two senior high schools in the Central Region, has raised fresh concerns about discipline and student safety in second-cycle institutions.