Dr Collins Kankam is a senior lecturer at KTU
A senior lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr Collins Kankam Kwarteng, has advocated for the establishment of robust security systems in Senior High Schools across Ghana to address the growing cases of indiscipline.
He believes the current reliance on watchmen is inadequate to manage the rising incidents of violence and misconduct among students.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Otec FM’s morning show ‘Nyansapo’ hosted by Kwaku Owusu Boateng on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Dr Kankam Kwarteng stressed that schools with large student populations cannot depend solely on watchmen for protection.
“The watchman system cannot control a school with more than a thousand students. We need a more structured and professional security arrangement,” he said.
Dr Kankam Kwarteng proposed the engagement of trained security personnel, including retired military and police officers, to patrol school premises.
He explained that their presence alone would serve as a deterrent to deviant behaviour.
“When students see uniformed and disciplined officers on campus, it will naturally shape their conduct,” he noted.
He further recommended the installation of CCTV cameras to monitor activities within school compounds.
According to him, a modern surveillance system would help school authorities track movements, gather intelligence and prevent potential disturbances before they escalate into chaos.
The senior lecturer rejected claims that teachers should be blamed for the decline in discipline in some schools.
He argued that teachers have already been stripped of the authority to administer corporal punishment and cannot be expected to assume security responsibilities for which they have no training.
“Teachers are employed to deliver academic content. They are not security experts,” Dr Kankam Kwarteng stated.
He added that asking teachers to enforce discipline without adequate support places an unfair burden on them and compromises their core mandate of teaching and mentoring students.
Dr Kankam Kwarteng’s remarks follow a series of violent incidents reported in some Senior High Schools, including assaults on teachers and students as well as truancy.
He warned that without immediate reforms, such occurrences could undermine the learning environment and threaten student safety.
He appealed to the Ghana Education Service to consider implementing a comprehensive security framework in schools and phasing out the watchman system.
He also urged Parent and Teacher Associations and old students to support efforts to install modern security infrastructure, describing it as an investment in the safety and future of Ghana’s youth.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com