Correspondence from Upper East Region

All female students of the Paga Senior High School in Kassena-Nankana West have been directed by school authorities to go home.

They have been asked to go home and return in a week’s time.

The directive comes a day after a fire ravaged a female dormitory facility at the school, further deepening an existing accommodation challenge at the school.

The Tuesday morning fire additionally destroyed personal belongings of the students such as uniforms, mattresses, foodstuff and cash.

In an interview with GhanaWeb, the headmaster of the school, Vitus Angkyier, said the decision was arrived at in consultation with the District Assembly, Regional and District Directorates of the Ghana Education Service and management of the school.

He explained that the directive was to first and foremost enable authorities to prepare a temporary place for the students while efforts are underway to rebuild the dormitory. He added that it was also to enable students to get assistance from their parents to procure provisions and other belongings lost in the inferno to ensure their comfort during the rest of the term.

Mr. Angkyier stated that the directive did not affect the boys who were still on campus engaged in studies when our regional correspondent, Senyalah Castro, visited the school. He mentioned that the boys will continue to stay in school for tuition.

“For the boys, they are staying. They have been asked to remain so that classes will go on for them. The girls were the hardest hit. For the boys they remain on campus”.

The District Education Director, Alice Ellen Abeere-inga, giving further details on the development said plans have been made to assist the girls in catching up with their male counterparts when they return.

She said it was the hope of the directorate that parents would quickly assist their wards in buying some essential provisions and return to school on the due date.

She urged calm among the staff and students of the school.

On the accommodation challenge, the director assured that the directorate would work closely with the school to improve some uncompleted structures to serve as temporary dormitories for the girls.

While this report was been followed, the school bus was released to commute students who had lost monies in the fire to towns including Navrongo and Bolgatanga.