Commentary, News

When The Classroom Becomes A Battlefield, It Is Time To Protect Our Teachers

The recent declaration by the National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT to embark on a series of protest actions starting on June 1, should not be taken lightly. This is not mere political posturing but a desperate cry for help from a profession under siege. When teachers begin to speak openly about arming themselves for protection in the classrooms, it is no longer an issue of indiscipline but signals a complete breakdown of law and authority as well as respect within the educational set up. NAGRAT President Angel Carbonu captured the urgency of the crisis when he stated, quote, “The first order of life is self-preservation.” His comments, which some have found controversial, are rooted in real and rising threats facing teachers and educational workers in Senior High Schools across the country. Classrooms, once safe haven for learning, mentorship, and moral guidance are increasingly turning into no go areas. Reports of physical assaults, threats, and even students carrying all sorts of dangerous weapons to classes can no longer be underestimated. The matter is becoming very grim. The Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT has also echoed similar concerns, warning that the current trajectory of student behavior and the inability of teachers to enforce discipline could have dire consequences for education in the Country. “A time will come when students will be sending guns to school,” a GNAT official warned. That time, unfortunately, may be closer than we think. At the heart of this crisis is a deep erosion of the Teacher’s Authority. Years of ‘over-correction’ and turning a blind eye to student indiscipline, all in the name of child rights protection, have stripped teachers of the power to maintain discipline and order in the classrooms. Today, a teacher can barely raise their voice, much less impose meaningful discipline, without risking public backlash or administrative reprimand. Meanwhile students, some emboldened by a system that shields them from the consequences of their actions. Have increasingly become defiant and, in some cases, violent. Clearly, the issue is a balance between children’s rights and teacher authority. It is entirely possible and necessary to protect the rights of students while also upholding the safety and dignity of teachers. Currently, that balance is dangerously skewed. What is needed now is not rhetorics but actionable and sustained reform.

The Ghana Education Service, GES must step in with a comprehensive plan that addresses both the immediate threats and the long-term structural issues. This must include: the deployment of trained security personnel in schools identified as high-risk; a firm disciplinary framework that allows teachers to take action when students become violent or disruptive, with clear consequences that deter future incidents; Access to legal and psychological support for teachers who have suffered threats or physical harm; Policy reforms that restore authority to teachers while protecting the fundamental rights of students and engagement with parents and communities to rebuild respect for educators and the teaching profession at large. Moreover, it is critical that teacher training programs should now include safety and conflict resolution to prepare those in charge of molding our children for today’s challenges. Let’s also not forget the students in this conversation. A chaotic, unsafe environment is just as damaging to their learning and development. In protecting teachers, we are ultimately protecting students and the integrity of our educational system. We cannot allow Ghanaian classrooms to become conflict zones. It would be a misnomer for Teachers to choose between their calling and their lives because of these threats. If we continue to ignore the severity of this issue, we risk not only the lives of our educators but the future of education in Ghana. The time for denial is over. The time for policy papers and hollow reassurances is past. It is time for bold, practical, and immediate action. Our classrooms must return to being what they were always meant to be, ‘safe spaces for discovery, discipline, inspiration, and growth. The future of our nation depends on it.

BY: GLORIA ANGMORKIE ANDERSON. A JOURNALIST.