Regional News of Friday, 11 February 2005

Source: GNA

Schools decry defecation in classrooms

Nkoranza, Feb 11, GNA - Teachers and pupils in the Nkoranza District have expressed their indignation over the activities of some persons who have been defecating in their classrooms.

Students at the Anglican Primary "A" and "B" schools at Dromankese now feel reluctant to clear human excreta daily from their classrooms before starting classes.

Mr Obeng Gyan, the Headmaster, told Ghana News Agency at Nkoranza that efforts made by the school management committee and the community leaders to arrest the perpetrators had proved futile. He said the culprits were believed to be drug addicts and expressed the fear that situation could affect the health of the students and teachers.

The Headmaster said the problem had existed for the past three years and recalled that it was stopped for sometime when the traditional authorities caused a gong-gong to be beaten to invoke a curse on the perpetrators but after some time it resumed. Mr. S.K. Leopold, the Headmaster of the local JSS at Ayerede, told Ghana News Agency a similar practice was going on in his school. Other reports indicated many schools in the district were facing the problem and had called for the formation of watchdog committees to track down the culprits and arrest them for prosecution.