Former spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Yaw Opoku Mensah, has called on school authorities to immediately enforce the existing Student Code of Conduct following recent violent incidents involving senior high school students in the Central Region.

His comments come after disturbing videos circulated on social media over the weekend, showing students from two separate senior high schools physically assaulting one another. The footage has sparked widespread public outrage and renewed concerns about discipline and safety in second-cycle institutions.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, Mr Opoku Mensah described the incidents as unacceptable and criminal in nature, stressing that the response should not be delayed by bureaucratic processes.

“We’re watching some of the footage and pictures which have flooded social media. This is uncalled for and purely criminal,” he said.

He expressed surprise that some school authorities appear to be waiting for directives from the Ghana Education Service (GES) or the Ministry of Education before taking action.

“School authorities look up to what the Ghana Education Service or the Ministry will direct them to do. From where I sit, I’m astonished as to why they would have to wait,” he stated.

According to him, once misconduct of this magnitude occurs, headteachers and school management have both the authority and responsibility to act promptly in line with existing regulations.

Mr Opoku Mensah pointed to a 2024 policy document specifically developed to address student indiscipline — the Student Code of Conduct — noting that the behaviour seen in the viral videos is clearly captured under prohibited acts.

“The very activity we are seeing on social media is addressed in the code of conduct for students,” he emphasised.

He questioned the delay in requesting reports and implementing sanctions, especially after indications that investigations had already been instituted into the incidents.

The former spokesperson warned that failure to enforce established disciplinary frameworks risks eroding confidence in school leadership and weakening deterrence against violent behaviour among students.