The Ghana Education Service has been directed to introduce a mandatory daily anti-drug awareness message in all pre-tertiary schools as part of a nationwide campaign to curb substance abuse among students.
The directive, issued by Haruna Iddrisu, forms part of a Behavioural Change Communication Campaign launched by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Narcotics Control Commission.
Under the new arrangement, students across the country will recite an approved anti-drug message during morning assemblies immediately after the National Anthem and before the National Pledge.
The campaign slogan is designed to discourage experimentation with drugs and reinforce the dangers of substance abuse among school-aged children.
According to a statement signed by the Minister’s Press Secretary, Hashmin Mohammed, the initiative is part of government’s broader strategy to protect learners from the harmful effects of drug abuse and promote healthier, safer and more disciplined school environments.
The statement explained that beyond the daily recitation, the campaign will include sustained public education, school-based sensitisation programmes, stakeholder engagements and closer collaboration among schools, parents, community leaders and other partners to tackle the growing challenge.
The Ministry of Education said the initiative is intended to strengthen preventive education, encourage responsible decision-making among learners and safeguard the wellbeing of students across the country.
It also appealed to parents, teachers, community leaders and the general public to support the campaign to eliminate drug abuse in schools and create safer educational environments for Ghanaian children.
