The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asante Akyim North, Sarah Amoakoaa, has joined growing calls for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, arguing that it could help address rising indiscipline among students.

Speaking in an interview with journalist Kwesi Parker-Wilson, Madam Amoakoaa disclosed that she was caned during her days as a student and believes the practice played a role in shaping responsible behaviour among young people.

She, however, cautioned teachers against abusing their authority and urged them to focus on their primary responsibility of educating students rather than engaging in inappropriate conduct.

“I will advise my colleague teachers to stick to the reason they were sent to school. We went there to teach, not to engage in sexual relationships with students,” she said.

The MCE expressed concern about what she described as a growing decline in discipline among some students and warned that failure to instill proper values could have serious consequences for society.

“If we do not direct them, a time will come when they will rise against us. When we are old and resting, some of these children could become armed robbers and attack us. I agree that caning should be reintroduced in schools. All of us were caned before,” she stated.

Her comments come at a time when concerns are mounting over incidents of indiscipline in some Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country. In recent years, schools have recorded cases involving student violence, possession of offensive weapons, bullying, vandalism of school property, drug abuse, clashes between students and authorities, and other forms of misconduct that have sparked public debate about discipline in educational institutions.

Corporal punishment was officially banned in Ghanaian schools by the Ghana Education Service (GES) in 2017 as part of efforts to promote a safe and child-friendly learning environment. The directive was reinforced in 2019 with the introduction of a Positive Discipline Toolkit, which encourages teachers to use non-violent methods to correct students’ behaviour.

The ban prohibits the use of canes and other forms of physical punishment in both public and private basic and second-cycle institutions, with teachers encouraged to adopt alternative disciplinary measures.

Despite the policy, calls for the return of caning continue to surface periodically, especially following reports of student misconduct and violence in schools. While some stakeholders argue that corporal punishment helps maintain discipline, child rights advocates and education experts insist that positive disciplinary approaches are more effective and less harmful to students’ physical and emotional well-being.