Catholic Church accuses Metro directors of sabotage

Emeritus Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Kumasi, Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong has accused both the Regional and the Kumasi Metropolitan Directors of Education of setting an agenda to collapse Catholic Schools in the region.

He described the attempt as unacceptable behavior by the two education directors reported to be doing everything within their power to collapse Catholic Schools in the region.

The catholic Bishop has, therefore, called on the Government to bring the Ashanti Regional and Kumasi Metropolitan Directors to order.

Most Rev. Sarpong, who was speaking as special guest at the 5th annual conference of the Province of the Association of Catholic Teachers (ACT) at the Saint Paul Catholic Church in Kumasi, indicated that there was no way the Catholic church to sit down unconcerned for its developments in the educational sector to be collapsed by the hidden agenda of some persons.

The conference, which brought together over 260 Catholic Teachers from Konongo-Mampong, Obuasi, Goaso, Techiman and Kumasi Dioceses, was under the theme: “Catholic Education and National Development”.

The Emeritus Sarpong observed that if nothing was done to help salvage the attempt to collapse catholic education in the region and the country as a whole, the church would be compelled to take the necessary action to redeem its beliefs and gains.

Bishop Sarpong mentioned attacks on Catholic teachers, Headmasters and staff of the Catholic education unit, among others, and replacing them with people who do not support the Catholic faith as some of the strategies being adopted by the two directors to collapse the unit.

The Parish priest of Saint Paul Catholic Church at Amakom, Rev. Fr. Opoku Agyemang, commended members of ACT for their support towards the development of education in the country and urged them to keep it up.

He appealed to the government to have a second look at the school placement system, as staff of the unit had become more corrupt than other units in the country, saying the motive for setting up the unit had been defeated, due to bribery and corruption.

He said the issue of education was everybody’s business and called for all and sundry to contribute their quota towards the total development of education in the country.

Mr. Eric Kyei, President of the Kumasi Province of ACT, also appealed to the Catholic Bishops Conference to meet and dialogue with the government over the proposed takeover of management of educational institutions from the missions, since the government alone could not address the issue.

Meanwhile, Professor Sarfo Kantanka, the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, has denied allegations of attacking, transferring and replacing Catholic teachers and staff of the Catholic unit with people who do not support Catholic faith.

He explained that any decision taken to that effect is done in consultation with the managers of the Catholic education Unit as directed by the Director General of Education and that GES recommends only District Directors do recruitment, posting and transfer to both government and unit schools. He also said that appointment and transfer of heads of unit basic schools should be done in consultation with Regional Managers of Unit Schools in accordance with rules, regulations and directives from GES.

The Regional Education Director underscored that nobody is begrudging Catholic schools as perceived. Prof. Sarfo Kantanka said he has nothing against any manager and but will not allow anybody to take Ghana Education Service to ransom.

He wondered if the Missions were going to foot the salary of teachers and workers if they take over their schools in the face of the fact that every government has the responsibility to ensure that children of school going age get the best.

The Education Director argued that the Catholic Church would not want the Heads of their schools to take instructions from their Reverend Fathers, who are mostly not qualified to head schools.

He said Catholic priests are responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of the schools and not to take control of all the administration of the schools.