The Member of Parliament for Sefwi Bodi, Sampson Ahi, has linked rising cases of indiscipline in schools to what he describes as “wholesale promotion” of students.
According to him, the growing trend of automatically promoting students without repetition has weakened academic seriousness among some learners.
He argued that the situation became more pronounced after the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy.
Mr. Ahi on Adom TV’s Nnawɔtwe Yi show clarified that while the Free SHS initiative remains beneficial, its implementation came with a directive discouraging repetition.
In his view, when students are certain they will advance to the next level regardless of performance, some may feel less compelled to prioritise their studies.
He explained that in the past, the possibility of repeating a class often motivated students to devote more time to academic work, leaving little room for distractions or negative influences.
The absence of that consequence, he suggested, has altered attitudes and behaviour patterns in some schools.
The Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry stressed that he was not solely blaming the promotion policy for misconduct but maintained that it has contributed to the problem.
He called for a comprehensive and balanced approach to addressing indiscipline, urging stakeholders to examine policy gaps while safeguarding the gains made in access to education.
Mr. Ahi emphasised that discipline and academic commitment must remain central to Ghana’s education reforms if meaningful outcomes are to be achieved.
