Principal of Bawku Technical Institute Threaten to leave the school

January 24, 2011 Bawku (UE), Jan. 24, GNA - The Principal and some members of staff of the Bawku Technical Institute in the Upper East Region have threatened to leave the school should the Ghana Education Service has refused to implement the recommendations of a committee set to investigate an impasse in the school.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Principal, Mr. Luinus Tuuli who was transferred last year from the Volta Region to head the School, said a group comprising three teachers calling itself "Taliban" had on several occasions embarked on a number of dubious activities contrary to the rules and regulations governing the school.

He indicated that the said group had vowed to make the school ungovernable for him and would therefore do everything in their capacity to achieve their aim, and blame him for infectiveness.

The other members of staff who have joined the Principal in the crusade include Mr. Gariba Razak Ibrahim, Vice Principal, Mr. Abanga Samuel Awuni, Senior House Master, Mr. Mohammed Musah Senior House Master, and Mr. Felli Jacob Alamgiwe, Guidance and Counselling Officer.

According to the Principal and his colleagues some of the negative activities organized by the "Taliban" group include influencing students to embark on demonstrations and framing up the Principal and some of the teachers with allegations of making advances to female students in the school.

They have also boycotted teaching for a number of weeks, he said, and specifically cited one Mr. Alour who claimed he was now engaged by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and so he could no longer teach, yet he remained on the pay roll of the Ghana Education Service.

The Principal and the staff said based on some of these attitudes the Regional and District Directorates of Education set up a Committee of enquiry in June last year to investigate the matter and make the necessary recommendations, which the Committee did accordingly.

Among other things the committee recommended was the recall of the three teachers in question to the GES Directorate for reposting to different schools.

According to the Principal, the Regional and District Directorate and the School Board Chairman had refused to implement the recommendation and had set up yet another committee to go into the matter again.

He said the fresh move by the authorities from the GES was not the best because they suspected it was meant to favour the culprits which would continue to mar teaching and learning in the school.

The Principal and the teachers have vowed that they would leave the school if the new committee recommends that the three teachers be allowed to continue teaching in the school.

GNA investigations confirmed that the three teachers had not been turning up for classes and according to some students the GNA interviewed the attitude of the teachers was seriously affecting students' performance.

The students indicated that since the assumption of office of the new Principal the school had seen a number of structures spring up and mentioned the building of a three-story hostel facility, a girls' hostel, an ICT centre, and new classroom blocks among others.

The principal indicated he had served as principal for 21 years and had very good records in the schools he had served. He added that he had sacrificed his comfort elsewhere to come and contribute to the development of the north "only to be disturbed by some irresponsible colleague teachers."

Meanwhile the chiefs and people in the two communities namely Kpalwega and Kpaligu, where the school is located, have petitioned the Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, the Municipal Directorate of Education and the Bawku Traditional Council to ensure that the three teachers were transferred from the school to prevent further disturbances, stressing that the New Principal had brought a lot of development to the school.

Reacting to the issues the Acting Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Agnes Atagabe, indicated that the previous committee was set up specifically from the Ghana Education Service to investigate the issue and other problems confronting the school and to make the necessary recommendation.

She said the latter committee was to make further investigations and come out with the necessary sanctions if the need arose, adding that this Independent Committee would soon come out with the final findings for the necessary actions to be taken.

The School's Board Chairman, Mr. Paul Apanga, indicated that the Committee would soon finish its reports to establish the necessary actions and stated that the former committee was not properly constituted.

The three teachers on their part, have denied the allegations levelled against them by both the school authorities and the committee, alleging that the Principal had sidelined them and did not want to see eye to eye with them.

GNA