Following the terrible death of seven Lawra Senior High School students who drowned in the Black Volta River on the morning of Saturday, June 14, 2025, while participating in a regular school activity, the Ministry of Education has expressed its profound sorrow.
The Ministry expressed its sympathies to the bereaved families and the larger school community in a statement released on behalf of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
“On behalf of the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu and government, I convey our deep shock and sadness to the families of the seven students of Lawra Senior High School who lost their lives in a tragic boat incident,” the statement read.
As part of a morning jog, ten members of the school’s cadet corps allegedly tried to cross the Black Volta River at Dikpe, a border region near Burkina Faso, early on Saturday morning. In the middle of the river, their canoe overturned.
The Ministry verified that three students were saved, while the other seven sadly lost, according to information from the Upper West Regional Minister and the Lawra Member of Parliament. Two boys and five girls are among the victims.
Following search and rescue operations coordinated by the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Education Service, and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), all seven bodies were successfully recovered.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service has been instructed by Haruna Iddrisu to call an immediate conference with the Headmaster of Lawra SHS, the Regional and District Directors of Education, and others in order to fully comprehend the incident’s circumstances. The Minister has requested an urgent report on the issue.
“We share in the grief of the affected families and the entire school community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this extremely difficult time,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry has reassured the public that it is still dedicated to protecting the lives of students nationwide, even as investigations continue.
“We want to reassure Ghanaians that we will keep doing everything in our power to ensure the safety and security of our students while the Ministry awaits a comprehensive report from the Ghana Police Service,” the statement said.
