From Correspondence in Upper East:

Some basic schools in the Kasena-Nankana area of the Upper East Region have recorded low attendance on the first day of the new week after Ghana celebrated its 63rd Independence anniversary last week Friday.

This is because some of the students thought Monday has been declared a holiday.

Visits to some of the schools show a drop in the numbers, creating almost empty classrooms, though the Ghana Education Service (GES) in a statement stressed that the day had not been declared a holiday.

Our Reporter, Senyalah Castro who visited a number of schools, reports that teachers who have taken the directive by the GES seriously, have been amazed by the poor numbers.

Some of them who agreed to speak to our reporter but pleaded anonymity, in a conversation expressed shock but blamed poor communication on the part of authorities for the low attendance.

They said the GES should have made it clear to the students earlier that "today, this Monday wasn't going to be a holiday, but they waited and gave the information last minute. So how do you expect the students who think there's a holiday after every Independence day march to come to school". One of the teachers queried.

At one of the primary schools (name withheld), two-third of the class population had not come to school, though it was learnt the school authorities passed the information to the pupils right after the Independence Parade that a holiday had not been given.

For the teachers, even though the numbers were not encouraging, academic work was not going to be impeded.

Asked if school authorities would take punitive actions towards those that have missed out from school today, one teacher responded that: "if the GES advises that we punish them, then we will but if not, we'll all keep quiet and let it go like that".

In Ghana, holidays are mostly given whenever the celebration of the Independence Day falls within the week. The holiday is usually given to enable school children, teachers and other workers who took part in the independence Parade have some rest.