General News of Monday, 12 January 2004

Source: GHANAIAN TIMES

Teachers Desert School ...

...FOLLOWING THREATS BY JEALOUS YOUTH

The Dodi Asantekrom Presbyterian Primary and Junior Secondary Schools near Boso, in the Asuogyaman District are currently without a single teacher.

This is because the school leadership and staff last Wednesday fled the town following threats against them by some of the youth of the town who alleged that the teachers were stealing their girlfriends who are pupils in the schools.

The teachers, who have denied the allegation, are at present staying with friends at Tosen, a village three-and-a half kilometres away. Classes in the two schools have, therefore, halted.

Mr. Kwaku Afuru and Mr. Mark Avor, head teachers of the JSS and Primary Schools respectively, told the paper that at about 9 p.m., last Wednesday, the teachers were awoken from sleep by a commotion outside their quarters and they heard a group of unidentified men threatening that they would drive the teachers out of the quarters.

“Within some minutes, the group started throwing stones onto the compound of the quarters, causing damage to electrical fittings and windows.”

The headteachers said for fear of losing their lives and that of the rest of the teachers, they sneaked out of their rooms and fled the town with their dependants to Tosen and reported the matter to the Boso Police and the Asuogyaman District Director of Education.

The Boso Police confirmed the story when the paper contacted them but said they could not go to the town to effect any arrest because they did not have enough men on the ground to do that in view of the mood of the people.