The Ho Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has closed down the Takla Gborgame Evangelical Presbyterian Basic School in the Ho Municipality following an alleged assault on a teacher by a community member.

Wilson Dzah, said to be in his mid-twenties allegedly assaulted Mr. Kwatsikor Ashiagbor, a teacher at the School on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, on the school compound for accusing him of breaking into the teachers’ bungalow.

Mr. Bruce Senam McBrian, Public Relations Officer, Ho Municipal Education Directorate who briefed the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the perpetrator was in police custody.

He said the teachers’ bungalow being occupied by trainee teachers was broken into through the window during school vacation with pieces of used cigarettes and condoms left in the rooms after valuables were stolen.

Mr. McBrian said during a search of the rooms, Wilson Dzah’s name was written on the walls indicating his involvement in the break-in.

He said when Dzah heard that the School was contacting the Parent Teacher Association Chairman and the police on the development, he (Dzah) rushed to the School and started abusing the teachers verbally and in the process beat up Mr Ashiagbor mercilessly, leaving him with bruises.

Mr McBrian said it took a couple of teachers sometime to rescue Mr Ashiagbor, who later made a report to the police for the arrest of Dzah.

Mr Wisdom Mawutor Boima, Ho Municipal Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers said the Association had asked its members to stay away from the School and the community until they were sure of their safety.

“We are not happy about 200 pupils being home, but the beatings are too much. Two weeks ago, a headteacher was beaten to death in the Eastern Region and we can’t sit down. If you touch one, you touch all,” he said.

“We are in difficult times, because we are no longer using cane, discipline is low and people are doing anything to us, so we are asking our people to stay away from provocation,” Mr Boima stated.

Meanwhile, Mr Samuel Anani, the School Management Committee Chairman told the GNA that the community had written to GES assuring the teachers of their safety and called for the School to be reopened.

He said the community agreed to take up the cost of items stolen and damaged at the bungalow and paid the medical bills of the teacher who was assaulted.