General News of Saturday, 1 August 2009

Source: GNA

School authorities to destroy seized mobile phones

Agona Kwayanko(C/R), Aug. 1, GNA - Parents of students of Agona Kwayanko Secondary/Technical School, have finally agreed with the school authorities to destroy about 20 mobile phones seized from their children.

This was after a lengthy discussion between the two bodies where a consensus was reached that the phones be destroyed at the next PTA meeting in October this year to avoid doubts of diversion and suspicion. The seizure initially sparked some heated argument between the affected students' parents and the school authorities.

Mr Francis Alex Koomson, Headmaster of the school said this at Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting at in the Agona East District of the Central Region.

He said it was against the rules and regulations of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for second cycle school students to use phones at schools.

Mr Koomson stated that the authorities of the school had realized that the usage of the facility at the dormitories affects studies. The headmaster cautioned students to desist from internet fraud otherwise known as "Sakawa" since it would not assist them to become good future leaders.

He told the meeting that about 10 and 25 students of the school qualified to enter tertiary institutions in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Mr Koomson announced that the authorities had taken steps to protect property of the school especially its land and noted that GH¢5 has been levied on each student to settle the owners of the school plot. Mr Clement Gyan-Quansah, Chairman of the PTA said the association was constructing three storey building boys dormitory and indicated that GH¢40,000 had already been spent on it.

He said the PTA has also built computer laboratory and stocked it with about 20 computers and accessories to enable students to be computer literate.

The meeting also awarded four teachers for their hard work and dedication to duty. 1 Aug. 09