Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has counselled students to use dialogue and non-violence as a tool for addressing grievances.
He said deviant behaviour by students were counter-productive to smooth academic work and must therefore be avoided.
Prof Ellis was addressing the 14th annual congress of the Ashanti Regional Students’ Representative Council (ARSRC) in Kumasi on the theme: “Students’ partnership: pre-requisite for promoting quality education delivery.”
The Vice Chancellor underlined the need for students to respect authority and said without that there could not be order in the school environment to aid effective teaching and learning.
Prof Ellis, however, faulted the practice in some schools, where students were generally viewed as end-receivers of education and not partners in its delivery.
There should be a new approach to school governance and management to help tackle the growing challenges of alcoholism, examination malpractices, provocative dressing and hard drugs abuse among students, he added.
Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Regional Education Director, reminded the students that their conduct usually reflected on the image and credibility of their schools and for that matter they should be law-abiding and remain focused.
He lauded the ARSRC for its significant contribution towards the promotion of peace and harmony in schools, culminating in improved academic performance.