….As Gov’t Refuses To Address Free SHS Challenges
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has gained notoriety for going for the easiest option in dealing with issues under it, especially those to do with the head of second cycle schools.
In about 48 hours, two headmasters of the two of the nation’s prestigious secondary schools; the Ghana Senior High School in Tamaleand Fiaji Senior High School in the Western Region, have been embarrassingly suspended over innocuous issues in their respective schools.
While, the headmaster and senior housemaster of Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in the northern regional capital of Tamale for allegedly, were asked to step aside for converting a toilet facility into mode of accommodation for their students, Kenneth Agbomadze of Fiaji Senior High School, was sent packing by GES for allegedly collection illegal fees in the school.
Interestingly, in both instances, the headmasters were interdicted with immediate effect pending an investigation by a yet to be established committee.
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The Akufo-Addo government is not ready for any negative report from the secondary schools, particularly because of the government’s flagship Free SHS programme, and the headmasters are bearing the heaviest brunt in the hands of the GES.
There have been glaring shortfalls in the policy which has witnessed many experts, parents and even politicians calling for a review due to high enrollments, lack of dormitories, limited number of classrooms, human resources, food among others but the Akufo-Addo government has remain adamant preferring to keep things as deplorable as they are until January 2025.
Cassandra Twum Ampofo, Head, Public Relations Unit of GES in the case of GHANASCO, issued a press statement that said the headmaster and senior housemaster had been directed to step down in order for the regional education office to commence investigations into the matter to come out the actual facts of the matter.
“The Headmaster and the Senior Housemaster have been directed to step aside to allow for further investigations into the matter by the Regional Director of Education and report back in two weeks”, the statement said.
In the case of the Fijai, another statement signed by Ms. Twum Ampofo, said that the headmaster had been directed to hand over administration of the school to the Western Region Director of Education since his interdiction takes immediate effect.
Reason for Mr. Agbomadze’s interdiction is scanty but the GES has referred him to an investigative committee following an allegation of illegal fees collection in the school.
“Management of Ghana Education Service has interdicted Mr. Kenneth Agbomadze, headmaster of Fijai Senior High School with immediate effect pending further investigation into alleged collection of illegal fees in the school.
“He is to hand over the administration of the school to the Western Region Director of Education. The investigation committee has been given two weeks to submit a report,” the statement indicated.
Meanwhile, the headmaster of GHANASCO, has vehemently denied reports that the authorities of the school have converted a toilet facility into a residential block for students.
In a video, Douglas Haruna Yakubu, maintained that the school has excess capacity to admit more students into its boarding facilities.
Addressing the originator of the video, he stated: “What he saw, which I want to use the word advisedly, he was told to see, is that these buildings which were constructed by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the 60s have some attachments; toilet facilities. But I tell you, that right from the late 70’s these toilet facilities have not been used as toilets.
“Myself, I am an old boy and I left here in 1983. The same place that he took those pictures, I was sitting there learning. We used to carry tables and chairs to [those places], candidates just like isolated places so sometimes as they go, they carry their mattress to go and lie there.
“You can’t come and dramatize these things in our school and say that we have converted, did I ever tell you that we have converted a toilet facility into a dormitory? It’s not possible so please, it is not true. I am getting angry,” the headmaster said.
His statement follows the publication of a viral video on social media where some students of the school were seen purportedly using a number of toilet spaces as sleeping places.
The video shows student mattresses and chop boxes spread across the toilet cubicles.
But speaking to the media on Monday, Mr Yakubu, refuted assertions that the school had converted toilet facilities into student accommodation.
“In this school, we are running the transitional track system where some students are home, others are in school and the purpose of this is to ensure that we have accommodation in both the boarding house and then the classroom.
“So, we have enough [accommodation space], so as we sit, we can even admit more day students into our boarding house. How can we convert toilet facilities into dormitories? We have more than enough,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has waded in the matter and is supporting the calls for the immediate reinstatement of the headmaster of GHANASCO, suggesting that the GES pays the capitation grant subventions due teachers and schools which have been in arrears for two years.
The General Secretary to the Association, Thomas Musah Tanko, believes the decision to ask the headmaster to step aside for investigations by GES, was made in a haste.
According to a report by 3news.com, the General Secretary of the association, said the GES should exercise patience to get a grasp of the situation before acting.
“So please the Ghana Education Service should take it easy. We rather want to remind them that the Capitation Grant has not been paid for over two years now.”
He added that the situation is dire in the various schools that school heads are running the schools with their monies.
To him, the service should also be sanctioned for their role in the saga.
“Should GES be sanctioned for that too?” Musah Tanko asked.
