Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has called on government to treat rising indiscipline in schools as a national crisis.

He warned that Ghana’s education system is grappling with a growing “moral deficit" which reflects a deeper national crisis.

Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews, Rev. Opuni-Frimpong said the rising cases of indiscipline, assaults and unrest on some campuses should not be treated as isolated events but as symptoms of a broader breakdown in values.

“We need to admit at the moment that our education system is suffering from a moral deficit,” he stated. “This is the time for our policymakers and leaders — especially the President as he prepares to deliver the State of the Nation Address — to consider matters of conduct and behaviour on our campuses as a national issue.”

His comments follow growing public concern over violent clashes and other forms of misconduct reported in some SHSs across the country.

Rev. Opuni-Frimpong argued that the country must respond to the issue with the same seriousness it applies to economic challenges.

He cited government’s decision to organise national economic forums and dialogues to address financial difficulties as an example of confronting problems head-on.

According to him, a similar national conversation is needed to tackle the erosion of discipline and moral standards in schools.

“Our standard responses of fines and imprisonment are not helping,” he noted, explaining that in many cases, parents pay fines imposed on their children, reducing the intended corrective impact.