General News of Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Source: GNA

Students of Takoradi Technical Institute stop final exams

Takoradi, July 20, GNA - An unannounced students' demonstration at the Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI) on Monday morning, prevented the school's third term promotional exams from taking off.

The students were said to have demonstrated in protest over a number of complaints in the school and in the process vandalized louver blades that caused injuries to some people.

Some of the students, who spoke anonymously, complained of inadequate classrooms, frequent teacher absenteeism and non performing teachers among other complaints.

Mr Benjamin Botwe, Vice Principal of the Institute told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the Authorities were taken unaware because they never heard of any grievance or preparation for demonstration.

He said the incident occurred just when students were about to write their first paper, English Language, to begin the third term exams.

The Vice Principal said the students violated a laid down procedure because they could channel their grievances through the School Representative Council, the House masters and then to the headship.

On the alleged inadequate classrooms, Mr Botwe explained that construction of a six classroom unit was currently ongoing and therefore, the students' claim was unjustified.

He said all they saw on Monday morning was that the students were shouting and throwing stones.

The Vice Principal said later they called in the police, who came to restore sanity.

He said the Authorities hoped that the police personnel would stay at the school for about two weeks to ensure total sanity.

Meanwhile, he said, the Authorities would meet the Metropolitan Education Director, Board of Governors of the Institute, and executives of the Parent Teacher Association on Tuesday to take a decision on the matter.