Nkawie (Ash), May 20, GNA - A total of 318 final-year students of Nkawie Secondary/Technical School have adopted a "peer group teaching" method to prepare themselves adequately towards this year's Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) next month. This followed a strike action embarked upon by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), which has affected studies in the school.

However, the undeterred student population has continued to attend classes where they take turns to teach themselves under a peer study arrangement.

Visits to Toase, Mpasatia and Osei Tutu Secondary Schools, all in the Atwima-Nwabiagya district by the Ghana News Agency on Thursday revealed similar study conditions.

According to Master James Twumasi-Mensah, school prefect of Nkawie Secondary/Technical School, the strike action by the graduate teachers had affected their studies because they had not completed their syllabus.

He has therefore appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the government to expedite action on the negotiations with the teachers to enable them resume classes early ahead of the examinations. "We the innocent final-year students should not be used as scapegoats to suffer unduly," he added.

Master Twumasi-Mensah advised his colleagues not to use the absence of the teachers to abandon their studies but they should rather join others at study or learn independently. Meanwhile, teachers of the school, even though they were on strike, were turning up regularly at extra classes organised by the Parent-Teacher Association's of the school. 20 May 05