Teachers in Bawumia’s hometown asked to type, print end of second semester exam papers for pupils

Teachers in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region are peevish over a directive from the District Director of Education to type their end of second semester examination questions and print a copy for their respective headmasters.

Their printed exam papers, according to the Municipal Directorate would then be photocopied and shared for the pupils to write their second semester examinations.

Teachers at Government Junior High Schools in the Municipality say they cannot print even a single paper with their own monies when it is supposed to be government’s responsibility.

A teacher who pleaded anonymity speaking with ModernGhana News described the situation as “not just saddening but annoying.”

Our source noted that “It is very annoying the treatment they are giving to teachers, anybody at all can just wake up and give a directive to teachers, as if we are not professionals. You came and told us not to collect anything from the parents because you will pay, now you want teachers to bear some of the cost, how.”

A statement allegedly sent from the Municipal Director of Education to Headmasters in the area directed them to forward the typed and printed questions to the Circuit Supervisors who would then forward them to the Municipal Office.

“Deadline for submission of questions to the Circuit Supervisors is Wednesday 1^st December, 2021 @4:00PM.

“No teacher should collect any money from pupils for the organization of the exams,” it said in point five of the Memo sent to the Headmasters’ WhatsApp platform.

The teachers in the area, according to our source, have not received their salaries for November. The source noted that teachers are hustling under the “harsh” economic conditions thereby wondering where and how the Municipal Director expects them to get the money for the printing."

The source continued, “As for my school, we have told the Headee that we can’t print anything, if they can’t do what is expected of them, they can let the children go home this semester too without writing any exams, after all that’s what they did last semester.”

According to him, a timetable handed to them at the beginning of the semester showed that they would vacate on November 7, 2021. However question papers have not been printed.

He wondered the calibre of students and future leaders the nation would be producing should this “none sense” be continued.

The semester system for Junior High Schools (JHS) in Ghana which commenced from Monday, January 18, 202 was part of conditions for reopening schools as a result of the coronavirus disease.

Per the new academic calendar, JHS run the first semester from January 18 to June 11, 2021 while the second semester started from July 6 to December 7.