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

The most recent tragedy occurred on Monday, September 2, 2024, at O'Reilly Senior High School, where 18-year-old Edward Borketey Sackey, who had just finished an exam, was stabbed to death by a fellow student. The incident occurred on school premises and sent shockwaves throughout the institution.

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

The deceased's cousin, 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, but teachers did nothing to prevent the violence. After the stabbing, no teacher accompanied the victim to the hospital, leaving the grieving cousin to turn to a passerby for help.

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

The conflict erupted when students of Ngleshie Amanfro SHS, who were invited to the celebration, attacked a student of Christian Methodist SHS. In retaliation, the Christian Methodist students vowed to attack any student of Ngleshie Amanfro on their premises. The situation escalated further when armed students of Ngleshie Amanfro stormed Christian Methodist SHS, resulting in the death of two students – one was hit by a car while fleeing and another succumbed to his machete injuries.

The incident occurred near Kasoa in the Central Region and has shaken both communities. Even police intervention has been unable to contain the chaos.

The clash resulted in the death of a man from Nsuapemso who was brutally attacked by Osino residents on the Accra-Kumasi highway. The incident has fuelled tensions between the Nsuapemso and Osino communities and there are fears of further reprisals.

Five students, all 17-year-olds in second grade, were arrested by the Konongo Divisional Police Task Force and charged in connection with the fatal incident.

These tragic events reflect a growing crisis of student violence in Ghanaian schools, where dangerous weapons and unintended misconduct lead to unnecessary deaths. There is an urgent 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.