Parents and guardians of pupils are to report issues against teachers of their children to school authorities rather than resorting to assault, Ms Catherine Sampong, Ayawaso Sub-metro Circuit Supervisor of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has advised.

Her counsel comes in the wake of attacks on teachers of St. John’s 1&2 Primary School at Accra New Town by some residents, for punishing a pupil on Tuesday June 7. The 15-year-old female pupil of the school had been punished by her teacher for misconduct, but she allegedly sneaked out of the classroom to inform a gang of young men, including one alleged to be her boyfriend, who invaded the school and beat up some members of staff.

Ms Sampong, speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM Thursday June 9, condemned the attack saying the GES regarded the matter as “serious” and had reported it to the police. The school has been closed down immediately following the attacks and pupils will remain at home throughout next week as its classrooms will be used for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) beginning Monday June 13.

The educationist further stated that regional and metropolitan officials of the GES would meet to deliberate to take a decision regarding the reopening of the school in light of the disturbances. However, Ms Sampong advised parents to do more in the upbringing of their children to make the work of teachers easier. “The truth is that most parents do not have time for their children, so it is the teachers who train the kids more than the parents do,” she observed.

She added that the GES had impressed upon their staff to be moderate in the application of corporal punishments to offending pupils, ensuring that they as much as possible, avoid excesses. She was certain that the teacher’s punishment of the pupil in question was reasonable enough not to trigger attacks on her, insisting the development was not “healthy”.

Ms Sampong warned that such attacks affected teaching and learning and could cause teachers to ask to be transferred away from such schools while new ones posted there would be unwilling to take up their duties for fear of also being attacked.

“It makes the teachers fear the community is hostile against them. It is wrong, so parents ought to stop that so the teachers can have the dedication to teach the children well. So, intimidating teachers doesn’t help with training of children,” the circuit supervisor added.