Correspondence from Ashanti Region

Students and teachers of the K.O Methodist Cluster of schools have complained bitterly over how their lives are being put under threat by thieves and other intruders who frequently enter the schools to do unscrupulous things.

According to them, their school which is located in the middle of the town near a popular shoe-selling joint, in Morocco, is exposed to many criminal activities as most of these criminals use the school as a hub.

"Sometimes we see them chasing others with cutlasses and other offensive items. It puts us in great fear. When we are in the class and begin to see such things, these actions usually force us to stop learning." Some students revealed.

Some teachers who spoke to GhanaWeb revealed that the situation put them and their students in fear during class hours.

They said, these thieves and other intruders take advantage of the school's location and its weak security structures to enter the school anytime they want to do evil.

A female teacher who only gave her name as Emelia said the thieves keep tormenting them in the school so much to the extent that they usually live in fear, especially when they hear a noise.

"I recently left my bag on the table in my own classroom to open my cardboard only to come to observe that my bag had been taken away together with everything. They keep harassing us. Most of these criminals are both males and females. Some of them come here under the pretext that their wards are sick and that they need help. The moment you make an attempt to help him or her they take away our money, phones, and backs." She said.

Another teacher said, "They just defecate in our classrooms due to the easy access they get here. We are therefore pleading with the authorities to help rescue us from these unfortunate incidents since the thieves are disturbing us here too much."

A female teacher who almost broke into tears recounted how the thieves always enter the various classrooms to steal the students' books due to the weak windows or lack of windows in some classrooms.

"Even the other places where we have windows are usually broken into by these aggressive thieves." She said.

The teachers further revealed that some of these thieves snatch people's phones and run through the school when classes are in session. Adding that these actions usually destruct classes. They are therefore pleading for more security measures to get them protected.

Madam Grace Berko, headmistress of the K.O Methodist Primary 'C' school said it was very unfortunate that these things were happening in the school. Confirming several such incidents to the media, the headmistress disclosed that she and they have been victims of these thievery activities.

According to her, the lack of a complete fence wall around the school, weak windows to some classrooms, and lack of enough security measures was the major cause of their challenges.

She disclosed that she and the other head teachers of the other five (5) schools had petitioned the MP for the area, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and the other stakeholders, yet they had not received any feedback.

She also disclosed that the school is currently faced with an electricity challenge which was a hindrance to their effort to learn ICT. She also lamented over how noise pollution had been disturbing them during class hours.

"Because this place is closed to Kejetia, most trotro drivers and their mates shout to disturb us. There are lots of noise pollution too".

Lamenting on the security issue as a major challenge, she called on the government, the Methodist church, and the other security agencies to come to the school's aid.

Assembly member for the K.O electoral area, Afre Sika reacting to the security issues in the school said, most of these bad people take advantage of a urinal joint in the compound to enter the school but he said he and his committee members have put measures in place to ensure that all those things will be put to stop.

He also disclosed that the community had planned to institute a volunteer group to complement the security issue in the school. He further disclosed that he and his committee had made effort to ensure that the police team always patrol the area.

"The police have already started and the crime rate is comparatively reducing. We are putting in much effort and I believe that very soon, those issues are going to be things of the past". He concluded.