Remain firm in enforcing discipline in schools- Veep

Tamale, Dec.15, GNA - Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the Vice President has urged headmasters of Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country to remain fair and firm in enforcing school regulations.

He said reports indicated that some students flout school rules and regulations with impunity, while at the same time resenting teacher guidance and supervision, adding, "This practice is repugnant and appropriate sanctions should be enforced to sanitise the situation." Alhaji Mahama was addressing the 17th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the Tamale Senior High School in Tamale on Saturday. The occasion had as its theme: " Education- A tool for eradicating poverty in Northern Ghana, Creating awareness in the youth". He noted that some parents and opinion leaders were also in the habit of trying to interfere or influence the decision of school authorities when disciplinary actions were taken against their erring children.

"Teleguiding administrative decisions in schools to champion sectional or partisan interest or ego has been our undoing over the years and should therefore be avoided", he warned.

Alhaji Mahama said government, had over the years put in place policies and programmes aimed at increasing enrolment in schools, mentioning the capitation grant, the schools feeding and the free bus service as examples.

He said, in spite of these incentives, school enrolment was unsatisfactory in the northern regions.

He said the inability of the North to take advantage of these opportunities to send their children to school would continue to perpetuate and deepen the endemic poverty in the North. Alhaji Mahama therefore, urged traditional rulers; opinion leaders, the Assemblies and other stakeholders to intensify and sustain the drive to send children go to school and remain in school. He told them to ensure that cultural inhibitions and practices that militate against the educa tion of the girl-child were not tolerated under any circumstances. The Vice-President, who is an old student of the school urged his colleagues to rededicate themselves to the progress of their alma mater by revamping and keeping alive the ideals of the school.

Mr. Bolina Saaka, Headmaster of the School said the school had a population of 1,565 and out of the number 562 were girls and 1,000 were boys, adding that, the school also had a teaching staff of 76 and 81 supporting staff. Mr. Saaka commended the government for the massive infrastructural development it had undertaken in the school and mentioned some of them as the rehabilitation of ten staff bungalows and the construction of an administration block. Others include a girl's dormitory and the provision of furniture, beds and an Assembly hall chairs. 15 Dec. 07