General News of Wednesday, 11 October 2006

Source: GNA

Only GES can close down schools - Director

Wa, Oct. 11, GNA 96 Mr Cletus Paaga, Upper West Regional Director of Education, warned on Wednesday that no headmaster had the right to close down their schools without the approval of the Ministry of Education.

He said the prerogative to shut down schools rested solely with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and effected through Regional Directors of Education.

Mr Paaga was answering questions from newsmen in Wa with regard to speculations making the rounds that some headmasters in the Region intended closing down their schools as a result of the NAGRAT strike that had crippled teaching and learning in the second cycle schools for almost a month now.

Mr Paaga disclosed that the Ministry of Education had directed all the Regional Directors to submit detailed reports on the strike action as it affected each second cycle school latest by Thursday. Mr Paaga said the report would also cover the basic schools. As a result of the strike there was virtually no teaching at the second cycle institutions in the Region while basic school pupils could be seen roaming about in their school uniforms.