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15.06.2004 General News

Defecation in classrooms; teachers boycott classes

15.06.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Sepaase (Ash), June 15, GNA - Teachers of Sepaase near Abuakwa in the Atwima district of Ashanti region have boycotted classes in protest against the persistent defecation in the classrooms.

Mr Owusu Akyempem-Mensah and Mr Paul Kwaku Sarfo, head teachers of the local junior secondary school and the Catholic Primary School, who led the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to inspect the diabolical act, said defecation in the classrooms has persisted for a very long time in the schools and efforts to address it have proved unsuccessful. Mr Akyempem-Mensah said on June 4, this year, some executives of the local Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) arrested one Kofi Nti, who was caught defecating in one of the classrooms at night and was handed over to the Abuakwa police.

Two other suspects who were seen loitering around the school compound were also arrested and handed over to the police. Mr Akyempem-Mensah said after the arrests, the perpetrators have even intensified the act and have extended it to smearing of the classroom walls, blackboard, teachers' tables and chairs and other school properties with human excreta, making teaching and learning impossible.

The teachers, he said, had no option than to boycott classes and later reported the incidence to the Atwima district education office. Meanwhile, Mr Eddy Obeng-Darko, the District Director of Education, has appealed to the Sepaase teachers to resume classes, while permanent solution was being sought for the problem.

The District Director condemned the act and described it as "inhuman, uncivilised and barbaric in this 21st century" and called on the Abuakwa police to expedite action on the reported cases.

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