The National Peace Council (NPC) has urged students of Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC), Legon, to take an active role in preventing violence and resolving disagreements peacefully within their school community.
The call was made during a sensitisation programme organised by the Council to equip students with practical conflict-resolution skills and promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Director of Capacity Development and Outreach at the NPC, Janet Dedei Sarney-Kuma, said maintaining peace in schools should not be left solely to school authorities, stressing that students also had a responsibility to create a safe learning environment.
She encouraged the students to tolerate differences, avoid confrontations and report early warning signs of conflict to the appropriate school authorities.
“Report early signs of conflict and seek peaceful intervention through the appropriate school authorities,” she advised.
Madam Sarney-Kuma also urged students to reject bullying, intimidation and physical aggression, noting that such behaviours could escalate into more serious conflicts if not addressed early.
According to her, the school sensitisation programme forms part of the NPC’s broader efforts to prevent conflicts and promote a culture of peaceful coexistence among young people.
A staff member of the NPC, Henry Attoh Okai, similarly cautioned students against responding to violence with violence.
He urged students who are attacked or threatened to report the matter to the appropriate authorities instead of seeking revenge.
“There are rules and regulations in the school. When someone attacks you, you report. You don’t go about hurting them,” he said.
Mr Okai further advised students not to use self-defence as an excuse to engage in unnecessary violence when confronted by others.
He encouraged them to become ambassadors of peace and demonstrate tolerance and respect both within the school and in their communities.
The school authorities expressed appreciation to the NPC for the initiative, describing the programme as timely and relevant to maintaining discipline and peaceful relations among students.
As part of the programme, the students took a peace pledge, committing themselves to promoting tolerance, embracing diversity, resolving conflicts peacefully and serving as peace ambassadors in their schools and beyond.
