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| Akuse Methodist Senior High School student |
Although Mr Tettey Agbo told Joy News he does not endorse teachers meting out brutalities on students, he complained about the behavior of the students in that school.
A final year student of the school was hospitalized after she was severely punished by her teachers, leaving the 17 year old girl with bruises all over the body after going out without permission.
Mr Tetteh Agbo said report of the alleged brutalities against the girl came to his attention on Thursday after Joy News broke the story. He said he immediately directed the Circuit Supervisor for Akuse and the Municipal Director of Education there to give him a preliminary report.
The report would be forwarded to the Regional Minister for further investigation, he assured.
According Tetteh Agbo, the report indicates that some 60 students of the school on May 13 left the school at about 6:30pm without exeat to waste the night partying at the VRA Club House.
He said those students were given 4 to 6 strokes of cane “depending on their level of involvement”.
Provocative and sexy style
He said portions of the report pointed out that the students “have broken school bounds; they left campus through unapproved routes thereby outwitting the school security personnel on duty; they visited a prohibited area and at an ungodly hour.”
He further noted that the headmaster of the school indicated that most of the students were “indecently dressed – most of the girls were in dresses that expose nearly their sensitive body parts. Again there was a dancing spree, most of the girls and boys were dancing in the most provocative and sexy style.”
Mr Tettey Agbo said some of the students were also found drunk.
He described the isolated case of the girl as unfortunate, but remarked that the intention of the school authorities was to instill discipline in them.
He however appealed to the parent of the girl to remain calm, and promised to get to the bottom of the matter and punish whoever is found culpable.
Administer by heart
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mr Paul Krampah told Joy News the ministry is very much interested in the issue.
“I don’t understand why school children should be subjected to severe beatings. This is not fair.”
He conceded that schools have power to discipline wayward students, but it should not be in that magnitude.
He said although the Ghana Education Service approves of some level of corporal punishment, headmasters, the only ones allowed to flog, are obliged to log it.
He accused the teachers of beating the students "out of annoyance".
“We don’t just administer it by heart,” Mr Krampah said, adding that every indiscipline has its own corresponding sanction.
He also promised that the alleged brutalities in Akuse Methodist SHS would be investigated.
Criminal investigation
For the Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah, the girl’s story is a “pathetic” one.
He suspected the teachers sidestepped rules set out by the GES for punishing students. He also called for a debate on what constitute a corporal punishment.
The child rights activist who believes an offence has been committed against the student wants a criminal investigation instituted into the matter.
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