President Akufo-Addo has directed Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to engage the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reconsider its decision to ban some Senior High School students from writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

This follows the dismissal of 14 students from five Senior High Schools for rioting during their Integrated Science paper.

The students from Tweneboa Kodua SHS, Kade SHTS, Sekondi College, Battor SHS, and Juaben SHS vandalised school furniture, smashed bowls containing evening meals in the dining hall, attacked invigilators, journalists, demonstrated and issued threats to school authorities for being firm during the invigilation of the exams.

They were subsequently barred from writing their remaining papers.

But in a statement from the Jubilee House, the President, while condemning the unruly behaviour of the students, said he believes they deserve to be given a second chance.

Earlier, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) called for the students to be ‘de-boardinised’ and not banned from writing the exams; a decision it contends may end up creating monsters for society.

Adding its voice, Child Rights International had also described the decision as harsh and made appeals for a review.

Concluding the letter to GES, President Akufo-Addo added that all other disciplinary actions taken against the implicated students should remain in place.