Chiraa teachers, pupils feel insecure in school

Chiraa (B/A) Feb. 22, GNA - Teachers and pupils of the Methodist Primary School and Junior Secondary School at Chiraa in Sunyani Municipality are living in fear and a sense of insecurity following a parent's brutal assault on a nine-year old pupil in the classroom on Monday.

The case has been reported to the police who are investigating, but information reaching the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicated the parent, Kwame Asamoah, had not been arrested. The victim, Kwaku Asiedu, was given a medical form and had since been treated and discharged but according to sources close to the school he was still in pains.

Information gathered by the GNA on the incident indicated that at about 0830 hours when classes were in session, a taxicab with registration number BA 4425 C and with Asamoah in it pulled up in front of primary three classroom.

Fuming with anger, Asamoah got down, entered the classroom and without showing any civility to the female teacher present called out his daughter, Faustina Agyeiwaa and enquired from her who had been beating her in school.

The girl had apparently complained to the father at home that some of the pupils in her class had been beating her in class.

When the teacher, Ms Elizabeth Anane, intervened and asked Asamoah what the matter was, he told her so she called the victim but before she became aware Asamoah seized the boy and started giving him hefty slaps, amidst kung-fu type kicks.

The pupil tried to run out of the classroom but Asamoah chased him, booted him down amidst threats that he would kill him and had it not been the shouts of some of the pupils and the teacher a different story would have been told, a source said.

In view of the incident many well-meaning persons, including opinion leaders and teachers have become furious and condemned the behaviour of Asamoah, saying if severe steps were not taken to check such wanton attacks in schools, it could be extended to the teachers as well. The authorities of the same school recently complained about the indecent attitude of some residents of the town who have turned the classrooms into their places of convenience and "wee" dens.

Pieces of the hard drug were found in the classrooms every morning when they report for classes and the pupils spent about two hours to clean the faeces, which the perpetrators would smear on the blackboards, tables, chairs and on the floors, the authorities said.

One teacher also remarked that it was a common practice by relatives, adults and friends to come and stand by the windows of the classrooms and call out some of the pupils from the classrooms either to send them or that they were needed at home, without even seeking permission from the teacher.