Ghana's SHS security needs overhaul: Expert calls for trained intelligence units to tackle rising school violence

Ghana's senior high schools are facing a critical security crisis that demands an urgent shift from outdated watchman-based systems to professionally trained, intelligence-led security units, according to education policy expert Dr Peter Anti.

The call comes as violent clashes between schools continue to spiral, with the recent confrontation between Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School leaving six students hospitalised and causing extensive destruction of property, including burnt classrooms, administrative offices, and destroyed examination papers.

The current security gap

Dr Anti, Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), argues that relying solely on teachers serving as housemasters and senior housemasters to monitor student behaviour is no longer viable. This traditional model places an unsustainable dual burden on educators who must balance teaching responsibilities with intelligence gathering, whilst exposing them to potential violence.

The expert emphasises that schools require specially trained personnel equipped to conduct ongoing behavioural monitoring, collect actionable intelligence about emerging conflicts, and identify potential threats before they escalate into violent incidents. Such professionals should be capable of responding immediately to violence breakouts and implementing preventative measures based on early warning signs.

Dr Anti suggests that trained security operatives could have detected warning signals before the Okuapeman-Mount Sinai clash occurred. Through monitoring student conversations and social dynamics, such personnel might have alerted school authorities to intervene before confrontation spiralled into the pre-dawn violence that resulted in hospitalisations and property damage.

Why it matters for Ghana

School violence in Ghana undermines educational quality and student safety at a critical developmental stage. When students are injured, traumatised, or occupied with inter-school conflicts, learning outcomes suffer. The destruction of examination papers and certificates, as occurred at Okuapeman, directly disrupts academic progress and certification processes.

Beyond individual schools, escalating SHS violence reflects broader concerns about youth engagement, conflict resolution, and institutional capacity. If secondary education—which should prepare young Ghanaians for tertiary study and productive citizenship—becomes a site of danger, the implications ripple through universities, workplaces, and communities.

The Ministry of Education's response to this crisis will signal whether Ghana prioritises student welfare and academic integrity. Upgrading school security infrastructure requires budget allocation, recruitment of trained personnel, and coordination across the education system, yet the cost of inaction—measured in injuries, destroyed learning resources, and compromised educational standards—is far higher.

What needs to change

Dr Anti's recommendations suggest a three-part transformation:

• Recruitment and training of dedicated security personnel separate from teaching staff
• Implementation of intelligence-gathering systems that identify conflict risks early
• Establishment of rapid-response protocols to contain violence and protect students and staff

This represents a fundamental shift in how Ghana conceptualises secondary school security: not as passive monitoring by teachers, but as active, data-driven prevention by trained professionals. Such a system would not eliminate school conflicts entirely, but could significantly reduce their escalation into violence and property destruction.

The Ministry of Education must now determine whether to continue with the current inadequate model or invest in meaningful security architecture that prioritises student safety and enables learning to proceed uninterrupted.