Accra Academy Struggles with Staff Shortage as Student Indiscipline Escalates

Accra Academy Grapples with Staff Shortage Amid Rising Student Indiscipline

Accra Academy Senior High School is currently facing a critical staffing challenge that is affecting student supervision and discipline on campus. The Headmaster, Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle, disclosed that only 22 staff members live on the school premises, overseeing close to 5,000 students. This, he stressed, creates a significant gap in effective student management.

The revelation came during a visit by the Parliamentary Education Committee, where Mr. Fiemawhle explained that the limited number of hall masters and auxiliary staff makes it difficult to maintain order among boarding students.

“The core issue of student indiscipline stems from our inability to adequately monitor them. With just 22 staff serving as hall masters and in other roles, it’s nearly impossible to provide the supervision needed,” he said.

He also pointed to the absence of recent support for residential infrastructure and suggested that such needs be prioritized under the GETFund.

Reacting to the concerns, the Chairman of the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, acknowledged that staffing shortages are a widespread problem in many schools. He assured the school that the committee would recommend urgent recruitment efforts.

“We observed similar challenges in other schools. Accra Academy, in particular, needs urgent staff reinforcement. We’ll advise the Minister of Education to seek financial clearance for the recruitment of both teaching and non-teaching staff,” he stated.