Assessing the implementation of school discipline policy in Ghanaian basic schools

As part of the effort to create safer and more protective learning environments in Ghanaian schools, the Ghana Education Service in 2017 officially banned all forms of corporal punishment and required teachers to adopt a positive discipline toolkit based on a manual prescribed as an alternative to corporal punishment. This study sought to investigate the implementation of the alternative positive discipline policy in the basic schools of Ghana. The study utilized qualitative research approach to gather data from 15 teachers through semi-structured interviews. Based on thematic analysis, the study showed that the teachers used many discipline methods per the policy on school discipline. They included writing lines, manual work, physical punishments, time-out periods, classroom rules, appointment and withdrawal of positions, and counselling to manage students’ behavior. The study, however, found that teachers perceive the positive discipline methods to be ineffective in managing students’ behavior compared to the use of corporal punishment. The implication drawn from the study was that despite the use of some alternative discipline methods by the teachers, they have not abandoned all forms of corporal punishments in schools. The study therefore recommended, among other things, that school leaders and other authorities institute surveillance and monitoring systems to check violators and sanction teachers who refuse to employ the non-violent discipline methods prescribed by the Ghana Education Service.