Minister tells students to desist from going on strike

Nsoatre (B/A), March 21, GNA - Nana Kwadwo Seinti, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, at the weekend told students to desist from embarking on unnecessary demonstrations and destroying state property without recourse to available conflict resolution mechanisms.

"I do not think it is prudent for students to go on rampage only for their parents and guardians to be surcharged with the cost of destruction of public property", he said.

The Regional Minister said this at the seventh speech and prize-giving day of Sacred Heart Secondary School at Nsoatre. Nana Seinti said the government would not spare any student or group of students who would misconduct themselves on any campus. He urged heads of educational institutions, particularly second cycle schools, to involve staff and students in administration so they would not have any cause to engage in strikes.

The Regional Minister attributed the poor performance of students to alcoholism, absenteeism and lateness by some teachers, parents' lack of interest in education as well as indiscipline among both teachers and students.

He commended the traditional authorities, the Catholic Diocese, Sunyani Municipal Assembly and Ghana Education Service for supporting the school.

Dr. Kwasi Nsiah Gyabaah, the Principal of Sunyani Polytechnic, urged the students to use their leisure time to read widely to broaden their knowledge.

He advised the students to refrain from using Pidgin English that had contributed to the poor standard of English in schools. The Rev Sister Elizabeth Anderson, the Headmistress, said the school, established in 1977 with an enrolment of 27 students, now has 579 students, 68 per cent of them girls.

She urged parents and guardians to provide the education needs of their children and wards and appealed to opinion leaders, traditional rulers and the entire community to encourage the use of English. Rev Sister Anderson appealed to the government to assist the school to build a school block and teachers' bungalows. Rt. Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, spoke against examination malpractices and said students should study hard to achieve high academic laurels.