Information Ghana Education News has picked up from Social Media indicates that the Headmaster of Nkwatia Presby SHS has allegedly slapped a student, leaving her with black eyes. Her offenses are that she left the school campus without an exeat and also held the headmaster’s cane when the head tried to lash her.
This angered the head teacher, who converted the attempt to correct the student into a moment of boxing and abuse.
The student whose name has only been given as Diana is said to be a second-year student of the Nkwatia Presby Senior High School. The abuse by the head teacher has left the vulnerable student partially blind after allegedly being slapped by the Headmaster of Academics for leaving campus without an exeat.
The Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) has described the alleged incident as unfortunate and has revealed it is not against humane and legitimate ways of correcting students as prescribed by the GES, It has initiated its own investigations on the incident. The HRRG has condemned the action and is calling on the GES to sit up on issues of disciplining and correcting students.
According to reports, the student, identified as Diana, actually had permission to leave campus, but the Headmaster refused to listen when she tried explaining to him herself.
To exert his power as a leader, he deployed his coercive power, thus using (his authoritative force or threats). It is one of the five types of power identified by sociologist Max Weber, used by leaders who have the power to use punishment as a means of correcting others or getting them to act in a prescribed manner. Its overuse or misuse can always lead to abuse.
Addition details available to this portal revealed that the headmaster made her kneel down for a period of time and when she told him that she was unwell, his alleged response was that he’d lash her to make her feel better.
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She mistakenly held his cane when he was about to lash her, and this infuriated him and prompted him to land a hefty slap on her face, after which he beat her up.
The HRRG has also indicated it would make its findings on the matter public soon and ensure the GES rules and regulations for correcting students are not hijacked by school authorities and thrown to the dogs in the name of showing students where power lies.
The one million dollar question is, is this the GES-prescribed means of correcting students for breaking school rules in our SHS?