Tema-Ghana, July 24, GNA – The Campaign Against Privatization and Commercialization of Education (CAPCOE) has stated that the Ghana Education Service (GES) should have done a thorough investigation before interdicting the headmistress of West Africa Secondary School (WASS).
The Ghana Education Service (GES) interdicted Dr. Shine Agatha Ofori, headmistress of the West Africa Senior High School (WASS), for the unauthorized collection of money from students.
Mr. Richard Kwashie Kovey, Convenor, CAPCOE, made this known in an interview in Tema said, an intensive investigation could have been done to ascertain the cause and truth of that action before an interdiction could have taken place.
“We are supposed to be living in a country where individuals are innocent until proven guilty, which means before arriving at such decisions per the code of conduct for staff of GES, a thorough investigation must be done,” he stated.
He explained that the case of Fijai Senior High School, which was later cleared of all charges, could have prompted the GES to have saved the headmistress from unnecessary public ridicule, adding that the headmistress must be given enough room to defend and justify her decision even if indeed the allegations were true.
Mr. Kovey stated that the question management should be asking themselves is, “What were the alleged fees being charged meant for? What role did the school PTA play? Is it for the headmistress’ personal use or to cater for students’ needs? Has management of GES provided funds for that already?”
He cautioned that managers of educational agencies must ensure that students receive quality education, asking, “Has any student been denied access to the classroom or dormitory because of the fees?
The Convenor, CAPCOE, went on to say that “when heads and teachers begin to speak, top GES management would have no place to hide; so much is going on that the heads don’t talk about just to save the image of the ministry.”
He described the decision of GES as unpopular, which rather affirms their capacity gaps in managing such a huge and critical corporate body, and urged the cabinet and ministry of finance to provide resources promptly to respond to the needs of the schools in the country.
He called for the reinstatement of the headmistress and adequate provision of resources for the purpose for which the money was collected, stressing that the situation where heads of schools and teachers would be playing it safe must be avoided.
