GES Dismissal Of School Heads For Alleged Extortion Too Harsh - GNAT

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has described as harsh, the decision by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to sack two school heads over extortion.

The government has dismissed head teachers of two secondary schools in the country over extortion in the ongoing admissions under the free SHS policy.

The sacked headmasters are Wisdom Blazu of the Pentecost SHS in the Eastern Region and Assistant headmaster of Daffour Senior High School Rev S.P Eleworkor. They are to be re-posted outside their respective schools back to the classroom to teach.

They were relieved from their post in a statement issued by the Ghana Education Service Thursday.

The statement further said a total of seven other school administrators have been interdicted.

All 11 were slapped with sanctions by the GES Council after they were found to have charged unapproved fees in the wake of the implementation of the free SHS by the government.

But reacting to the development, the General Secretary of GNAT, David Ofori Acheampong said the action by GES Council was taken in a rush.

According to him, the affected head teachers could have been given a softer punishment instead of just dismissing them which he believes could dent the image of the Service.

“I think GES really rushed in taking such harsh decision. In cases like this, the best they could have done is hand them a softer punishment and if in the process they are found guilty, then harder punishment can follow else you can’t sack them just because of a mere allegation,” he told Accra-based Neat FM, Friday.

Mr. Ofori Acheampong further called on the government to immediately take a second look at the decision and allow the head teachers to go back to work.

Background
Over 400,000 graduates from various Junior High Schools from across the country have been earmarked to benefit from the flagship programme which was a major campaign message of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)

It is estimated to cost the government about $100 million out of which 25% has already been paid into the account of the implementing schools with a promise by the Education Ministry to address the challenges associated with it.