Education Minister Appeals to Otumfuo to Lead Nationwide Campaign Against Indiscipline in Schools

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to spearhead a nationwide campaign against growing indiscipline in Ghana's schools, urging traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and students to join a collective effort to restore order in educational institutions.

Speaking at the grand durbar marking the 150th anniversary of Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast on Saturday, November 14, 2026, Iddrisu directly addressed the Asantehene, who attended as a special guest, asking him to lead the charge alongside other traditional rulers .

"Otumfuo, we may call on you to lead an indiscipline campaign together with other traditional rulers across the country," the Minister said . He proposed the campaign be guided by the slogan "Yɛmma school mmra no yɛ adwuma"—meaning "Let us allow the school regulations to work" .

A Call Beyond School Rules

Iddrisu framed the campaign as more than mere enforcement of school regulations. He argued that discipline is foundational to broader societal integrity.

"If the rules work, there will be discipline, there will be no corruption, there will be no abuse or looting of State resources," he said. "Children will learn and respect their teachers and will respect community leaders, and there will be self-respect at that level" .

The Minister emphasised that schools alone cannot address the challenge, calling for support from church and Muslim leaders, parents and students themselves. "We need the support of our traditional rulers. We need the support of our church and Muslim leaders. We need the support of parents, and we need the support of students to stem the growing and unacceptable indiscipline in our schools across the country," he said .

Committee Established

As part of immediate efforts, Iddrisu disclosed that he had constituted a committee to guide the government on measures to improve discipline in schools. The committee, established on Friday, November 13, is being chaired by the Catholic Church .

The announcement comes amid heightened concern over student misconduct. In June 2026, Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak raised alarm over incidents including student-on-student violence, attacks on teachers and host communities, and examination malpractice cases where students mobilised to attack invigilators with machetes . The Education Minister himself told Parliament in July that some students had been caught selling marijuana on school campuses and removing CCTV cameras to avoid detection .

Otumfuo's Educational Legacy

The choice of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to lead such a campaign is symbolically significant. The Asantehene has a long record of advocacy on educational discipline. In 2015, he challenged stakeholders to make discipline the bedrock of the country's educational reforms, stating that "without discipline, the fight for a better future for the country will be a fluke" .

His presence at Mfantsipim's sesquicentennial celebration underscored the school's national stature. Founded in 1876, Mfantsipim is widely regarded as Ghana's oldest secondary school and has produced generations of national leaders . The anniversary celebrations brought together Vice-President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who represented President John Dramani Mahama, along with traditional rulers, ministers of state, and alumni .

The government used the occasion to pledge a 66-seater bus to the school by January 2027, and announced that Mfantsipim would benefit from a GH¢250 million GETFund allocation supporting the 12 best-performing senior high schools, including funding for an assembly hall, dormitories, and ICT centres .

What Comes Next

For the Ministry of Education, the appeal to Otumfuo represents a strategic shift toward enlisting moral authority beyond the formal education bureaucracy. Whether the Asantehene accepts the mantle remains to be seen, but the Minister's public request places the issue of school discipline squarely on the national agenda—and ties its resolution to the credibility of Ghana's traditional institutions as much as its educational system.

As the durbar concluded at Kwabotwe, the message was clear: the government believes that restoring discipline in schools requires more than circulars and committees. It requires the visible, unified leadership of the nation's most respected figures.