Here are tragic deaths caused by hooliganism, misconduct in Ghanaian schools

The most recent tragedy struck at O’Reilly Senior High School on Monday, September 2, 2024, where an 18-year-old final-year student, Edward Borketey Sackey, was stabbed to death by a fellow student after completing an exam. The incident occurred on the school grounds, sending shockwaves through the institution.

According to eyewitness accounts, the stabbing was the result of a fight between Edward and a classmate, identified as Godwin, over a trivial disagreement. Edward, a General Arts student, was stabbed three times in the chest. Despite efforts to seek help, including approaching teachers on the school compound, Edward succumbed to his injuries upon arrival at LEKMA Hospital.

The cousin of the deceased, who witnessed the incident, expressed frustration at the lack of intervention by school authorities. She recounted how Godwin had threatened Edward before the fatal attack, yet the teachers did nothing to prevent the violence. After the stabbing, no teachers accompanied the victim to the hospital, leaving the grieving cousin to seek help from a passerby.

Edward’s father is now demanding justice, seeking answers from the school authorities and the parents of the student responsible for his son’s death.

The conflict erupted when Ngleshie Amanfro SHS students, invited to the celebration, attacked a student from Christian Methodist SHS. In retaliation, Christian Methodist students vowed to attack any Ngleshie Amanfro student on their premises. The situation escalated further when armed Ngleshie Amanfro students stormed Christian Methodist SHS, leading to the death of two students—one struck by a vehicle while fleeing and another succumbing to machete wounds.

The incident, which occurred near Kasoa in the Central Region, has left both communities reeling, with police intervention barely containing the chaos.

The confrontation led to the death of a man from Nsuapemso, who was brutally assaulted on the Accra-Kumasi highway by Osino residents. The incident has fuelled tensions between the communities of Nsuapemso and Osino, with fears of further reprisals.

Five students, all Form Two students aged 17, were arrested by the Konongo Divisional Police Task Force and charged in connection with the fatal incident.

These tragic events mirror a growing crisis of student violence in Ghanaian schools, with dangerous weapons and unchecked misconduct leading to needless loss of life. There is a pressing need for schools, authorities, and society at large to address the root causes of this violence and ensure the safety of students across the country.