Child Rights International Opposes Suspension Of Adisadel Students

Child Rights International has kicked against the decision to suspend two students of Adisadel College who were involved in a violent altercation in a dormitory leading to an injury to one.

Although the Child advocacy organization conceded the action of the culprit was wrong and a “showcase of wickedness”, it holds that the decision of the school with the nod of the Ghana Education Service (GES) was not informed by any investigation and therefore wrong.

It notes that “In accordance with the Children’s Act when children exhibit behavioural abnormalities, it is expected that proper assessment should be conducted on the child to ascertain the frame of mind of the child to inform the appropriate remedy.”

On that note, it concluded the decision was not taken according to any investigation and therefore not in the best interest of the students.

In a statement signed by the Organisation’s Executive Director, Bright Appiah, it called on the GES to rescind the decision and reinstate the students in the school except their presence will pose an extreme threat to other students, in which case, it advised, their removal must be in line with Section 2(1),(2), 2(8) and 18(l), (m), (n) of the Children’s Act 1998 (ACT 560).

Additionally, it counselled the authorities of the school to institute measures that will forestall a recurrence.

In a 29-second video that went viral, a shirtless student was captured being strangled by another before having a part of his face smashed against a metal bed in the dormitory.

This incident which took place on June 30 has seen a lot of people being incriminated including both the victim and culprit, the housemaster of the dormitory where the incident took place, the student who took the video and students who looked on as the incident transpired.

Graphic Online reports that the culprit and his victim as well as two third-year students have been suspended and will write their final West African Senior Secondary School Examination (WASSCE) from home.

The student who recorded the video and circulated it would also be suspended externally for one week, return and do internal work on suspension for another week, and bring the phone to the school, else he would also be sanctioned, the media organization said referencing a statement from the school.

It also said the onlookers will be subjected to some internal punishment while the housemaster, Ekow Holman, has been relieved of his post, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Read the Full Statement Here: Child-Rights-International