Some few hours after the dismissal of the eight female students at Chiana Senior High School, President Akufo-Addo has asked the GES to reconsider its decision.
In a statement announcing the intervention of the President, the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, noted that the issue had been brought to the attention of the President, who has directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to consider alternative forms of punishment.
On Thursday, the GES dismissed the eight students at the Chiana SHS in the Upper East Region for alleged verbal attacks against President Akufo-Addo.
They were seen in a viral video on social media using derogatory language toward the president, whose actions the GES described as “very undesirable and contrary to the acceptable standards of conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system.”
After preliminary interrogation, the students were suspended pending further investigation. Also, the GES, in a statement, apologized to the president on behalf of the school.
Following the dismissal of the students, several sections of the public and civil society, including Child Rights International, OccupyGhana, and the National Union of Ghana Students, while condemning the acts of the students, appealed for a reversal of the decision.
They argued that their dismissal of the students would adversely affect their wellbeing.
The GES is yet to respond to the directive by the Ministry of Education.