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The President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Rashid Ibrahim, has called for a ban on social media access for children below the age of 15, arguing that the move could help address rising indiscipline and promote moral development among young people.
According to him, uncontrolled exposure to social media is influencing children’s behaviour and exposing them to content and lifestyles that may negatively affect their values and character.
Mr Ibrahim, a legal practitioner, suggested that Ghana could adopt measures similar to those implemented in countries such as Australia, France and Indonesia, where restrictions have been introduced to regulate young people’s access to social media platforms.
He made the proposal during the fourth Muslim Leaders and Catholic Bishops Meeting Dialogue, held on the theme: “Addressing the Challenges of Rising Indiscipline in Our Schools: The Role of Faith-Based Organisations.”
He blamed increasing cases of indiscipline in schools partly on poor parental supervision and inadequate monitoring within educational institutions, stressing the need for children to understand that misconduct attracts consequences.
Meanwhile, the Commission Secretary of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Lucille Hewlett Annan, urged parents to prioritise the upbringing and welfare of their children.
She emphasised that raising children requires financial commitment, emotional support, time and continuous guidance from parents.
Senior Lecturer and Lead Convener of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Ghana, Dr Haruna Zagoon-Sayeed, also called for stronger government support for faith-based organisations to enhance moral and character education in schools.
He raised concerns about the limited number of chaplains in schools, questioning how institutions with thousands of students could effectively provide moral guidance with insufficient personnel.
Also contributing to the discussion, Associate Professor at the University of Ghana, Very Reverend Father Cosmos Ebo Sabah, called for greater authority to be given to teachers and school authorities to enforce discipline.
He noted that Ghana’s education system has focused heavily on academic achievement while paying less attention to the moral upbringing of students.
Story by Efua Nessa