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โWe do not teach students what to think; we teach them how to think,โ has become one the most repeated mantras in modern day education. A statement warts that are frequently seen as the quintessential of enlightened learning, intellectual liberty and democratic education. It suggests that the school should be a neutral environment where students develop critical thinking skills without any moral judgement.
It is a handy idea. It’s also not complete.
If the schools wish to eliminate many basic concepts on which, in reality, education is based, they must discard a truly neutral curriculum. Schools teach that honesty is preferable to dishonesty. They teach that violence is wrong, that respect matters, not to steal, and to accept and exercise authority properly. These are not simply techniques for thinking. These are moral truths that society decides to defend as civilization cannot proceed without them.
Every education system teaches students what to think for certain fundamental values. The real question is whether these values are strong enough to withstand the pressures of an evolving and rapidly-changing society.
This question has been placed on a national plate with a vengeance in the recent shocking controversy surrounding a Chemistry teacher at Bole Senior High School. The public repulsion, outrage and profound national debate which abounds is the result of the viral video, which has been passed on from the hands of the social media. Regardless of the official findings of the investigations, the shocking images that have emerged from a learning environment have shaken public confidence and made Ghanaians to seriously look at the problem of discipline, morality and responsibility in our schools.
Schools have a sacred role to play in every society. They are not just academical institutions. The are environments in which children and young adults are moulded intellectually, emotionally, socially, and morally. Parents take their children to the school anticipating that teachers will lead, mentor, protect and prepare their children for adulthood. This expectation is the starting point for the entire educational system to be built.
The moment allegations are made โ a warning that at least โ a teacher has violated this trust through unbecoming conduct, It becomes a public worry and an attack on the moral standing of the teaching profession itself.
The Ghana Education Service has long acknowledged the distinct position occupied by teachers. The Code of Conduct, the Professional Standards, and the child protection regulations that it has established have teachers expected to live up to the highest values of integrity and professionalism. The interaction between teachers and students are managed by stringent ethical rules, since this relationship is essentially inequitable. The teacher holds authority, influence, and responsibility. The student is put on their merit for protection, teaching, and guidance.
The imbalance of this power is the very reason that any sexual relationship between student and teacher cannot be accepted. Issues of consent are not the only issues. It’s not merely matters of personal choices. It’s a violation of trust, a misuse of power, a corruption of an environment meant to nurture young minds.
The law and regulations are in place for good reason. The teacher is not a mere adult in the school premises. A teacher represents the State, is a protector of students and a role model whose behaviour leaves a lasting impact on the lives of every student. Every action that the teacher makes has repercussions beyond the school setting.
The Bole incident has therefore caused such an emotional response, which is arguably one of the most sacred expectations of society that has been violated. The laboratory in which knowledge should grow is expected to be an environment of discovery, discipline and intellectual development. So when this kind of environment is suggested to be conducive to action that is totally “unrelated to the mission,” the public naturally recoils.
Firm disciplinary actions are thus necessary. If there is good reason, then all of the laws and regulations that are applicable should be enforced. Administrative measures will not be enough. The law should make it abundantly clear that schools are sanctuaries where exploitation, misconduct or abuse of authority will have serious repercussions. Justice does not only serve the purposes of punishing offenders. It also helps to give public reassurance, safeguard students, and stop future violations.
However, there is also a need to consider the broader social context in an honest and reflective manner from which such acts of violence emerge.
Many of the moral dilemmas confronting our schools now are firmly entrenched before the students enter the school gates. The economic crisis is taking its toll on the nation, and families are being reshaped and constraints weakened. Many parents are out before sunrise and back in before sunrise, having struggled all day to provide for their families with the necessities of life. Of course their sacrifices are noble, but the downside is that at times, a child can be more influenced by peers, social media and the internet as compared to his or her parents.
This is only worsened in the digital space, which is modernistic. Young people are daily bombarded with contents which often glorify sexual behaviour, partake in encouragement of immediate gratification, and devalue conventional perceptions of responsibility and self restraint. Values that previous generations internalized through their families and communities are more under the influence of algorithms and on-line trends.
This does not diminish the responsibility of the teachers to be held liable. In what matter is there to excuse professional misconduct. Not a whisper acts to minimize the burden that educators have to follow ethical standards irrespective social pressures. However it is also intellectually lazy to ignore the part which the deficiencies of parent involvement could play with broader erosion of discipline and moral guidance of young people.
The first school is the home and the first teachers are parents.
Children learn respect by seeing it. They learn about discipline through experience. They learn boundaries, when boundaries are consistently enforced. They learn responsibility by observing responsible behaviours from adults. These lessons cannot be completely removed from schools.
A society which neglects its parenting eventually places on the backs of its schools responsibilities which it never designed to carry alone.
This is why the slogan “teach students how to think, not what to think” demands a more critical survey. Critical thinking is essential. Every student should learn how to analyse the evidence, challenge the assumptions, and come to a reasoned conclusion. Any serious educator would not disagree. However, critical thinking is not sufficient.
Students must also be taught what integrity looks. They must be taught that authority means responsibility. They must be taught that respecting another is non-negotiable and that certain boundaries exist for protection and should never be crossed. They must be taught that personal desires do not override ethical obligations. These lessons are not indoctrination. They are the foundations of good citizenship.
In the tragic case of Bole Senior High, it’s a lesson that reminds us of what happens when moral limits are broken. They remind us that knowledge alone does not ensure character. That Integrity is guaranteed by acquisition of professional titles.
The future of a nation is not just in the knowledge of its students but in their beliefs also. Ghana’s educational system must thus continue to strive towards excellence in both intellectual development and character formation. Parents must reclaim their indispensable position in moral upbringing. Schools must continue to enforce discipline consistently. Teachers must appreciate the magnitude of the trust that is put to them and respect that without compromise. Authorities must step up and do the right thing decisively whenever that trust is betrayed.
Education is more than simply the transfer of knowledge. It is the moulding of human beings. And if we have serious desire when we could have a society built on integrity, responsibility and respect is to be daring enough to teach students not just how to think but what it is worth to think, believe and defend.
