Member of Parliament for Chiana-Paga and a member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Hon. Nikyema Billa Alamzy, has renewed calls for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, citing rising levels of indiscipline among students.
The MP argued that scrapping corporal punishment was a misstep influenced by blind imitation of foreign practices. He called for the establishment of clearly defined disciplinary policies suited to Ghana’s unique context.
“I think we should establish clear policies to deal with indiscipline in schools. We need to return to corporal punishment. We copied wrongly. When we wanted to abolish it, we cited countries like America—but even they have gone back. We shouldn’t have abandoned it in the first place,” Alamzy stated.
He emphasized that not all international models are appropriate for Ghana and advocated for practical, locally grounded solutions. He believes that, when regulated, corporal punishment can be an effective deterrent to misconduct such as bullying and harassment, which have become increasingly common in Ghanaian schools.
His comments follow disturbing recent incidents in senior high schools. A viral video from Accra Academy showed a student flogging two peers with a cutlass, drawing national attention and sparking renewed debate about discipline in schools.
In a more tragic event, a student of Kinbu Senior High School in Accra, Addib Alhassan, died after being stabbed during a violent altercation. He was rushed to Adabraka Polyclinic and later referred to Ridge Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Reacting to these incidents, Hon. Alamzy stressed the need for stronger preventive measures, including random security checks in schools and the strict enforcement of discipline policies.
“We must educate our students against bullying and harassment, and at the same time ensure our schools have the security infrastructure to protect all students,” he concluded.
