Regional News of Sunday, 12 March 2006

Source: GNA

Seven SEDASS students sacked for misconduct

Gomoa Jukwa, March 12, GNA - Seven students of the Gomoa Jukwa Seventh Day Adventist (SEDASS) Secondary School have been dismissed for indiscipline and misconduct.

Twenty-one other students have been suspended indefinitely to protect the image of the school, the Board of Governors and the Management, have announced.

Mrs Akosua Asiedu Ntriakwa, Headmistress, speaking at the third Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the school at Jukwa, near Agona Swedru at the weekend said "As a mission school and of course an Adventist institution, with the philosophy of holistic education. "It is doing her best to shape the life of every student who passes through the walls of SEDASS. Most parents and guardians have brought their wards to this school simply because of the discipline associated with Adventist schools".

"Some of you parents have come here to bear witness to the great change in your wards and even just after one term," the Headmistress said.

She stated that the school authorities would not condone with students who would misbehave and advised them to put up exemplary behaviour.

The Headmistress recounted the problems the school authorities went through before registering the third batch of students for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination for 2006. She said that the 112 students of the School would be writing their papers at the Assin Manso Secondary School because SEDASS was not a registered examination centre.

Mrs Ntriakwa appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to make the School an examination centre to save the students the problem of travelling a long distance to write their papers in a "strange environment".

She commended the Gomoa District Chief Executive (DCE), Ms Joyce Aidoo, for the donation of a 29-inch colour Television set from President John Agyekum Kufuor to the school to facilitate the President's Special Initiative for Distance Education in the School. The Headmistress stated that the school had instituted a special scholarship scheme for two students from the community, two from the SDA Church and four needy students.

She said the school had a dining and assembly halls, seven classrooms and a storey building for a library, computer laboratory, staff common room and offices.

Mrs Ntriakwa stated that another structure was under construction for the Home Economics unit, Agriculture and Science laboratories and classrooms.

Pastor Richard Ntriakwa, Director of the School, the Board of Governors had granted a half scholarship to Master Stephen Fiagbe, a form one for discipline.