Mr. Bright Appiah, the Executive Director of Child Right International, has raised concerns regarding the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) lack of authority to unilaterally dismiss a student who was caught assaulting a fellow student without adhering to the necessary legal procedures.
Adisadel College recently announced the immediate dismissal of the students involved in the incident, pending the final decision of the school’s Board of Governors and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Reacting to the issues in an interview on Oyerepa Breakfast Time, Mr. Appiah said GES has no power to sack students from school.
“I don’t think dismissing the students should be in the hands of the Ghana Education Service to determine that the students are dismissed. It is the law unless the law certifies that the student is dismissed,” he said.
He pointed out that there is a juvenile justice law that outlines how such matters should be handled.
“One thing that we should also know is that, within our juvenile justice system, even if a child commits an offense, there are processes of certification to come to the conclusion that the presence of the student in school will pose a threat to other students.
“So, the removal of the child is not based on administrative processes; it’s based on the law of certification. If you say the child should go home, it is based on the mere fact that he assaulted another student, or it’s just an exercise you want to put across,” he continued.
The Executive Director expressed concerns regarding the dismissal of students without adhering to legal protocols. This action may potentially infringe upon the students’ rights, as the Ghana Education Service (GES) lacks the authority to take such measures.
“The dismissal is wrong on the basis that there are rules that must be followed to aid certification to that effect. Because the truth of the matter is that GES don’t have the power to ask the child to go home,” he told Kwesi Parker-Wilson, host of the show.
Source: oyerepafmonline.com
