Students demonstrate against evacuation of their school

Tema, May 13, GNA - Students and members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Mexico One and Two Junior High schools in Tema on Wednesday demonstrated against the Tema Metropolitan Education Directorate for ordering the evacuation of the school. The aggrieved students, teachers, parents and some concerned residents wearing red bands on their heads and hands marched from the school premises shouting 'we wont agree' to Aggrey Road JHS where the school furniture had been sent to.

The school, which was built in 1962, has developed serious structural cracks posing danger to the lives of the over 500 students and teachers. Some teachers who pleaded anonymity told the Ghana News Agency that the Metropolitan Education Director, Mrs Victoria Opoku, and her team visited the school and ordered them to send all school property to Aggrey Road JHS and vacate the premises by 1700 hours on Tuesday. They said Mrs Opoku brought a van from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and conveyed the school desks to the host school. The teachers claimed the structure at Aggrey Road JHS has also developed cracks and questioned why the evacuation did not affect it. They said the premises of Aggrey Road JHS were too small and could not accommodate their property as Mexico school has a big library, wood and metal workshop equipment as well as catering equipment. Madam Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Member of Parliament for Tema West Constituency who went to the premises, said even though the condition was bad the Education Directorate did not use the right procedure in evacuating the school.

Madam Addo suggested that a stakeholders' meeting should be held to educate the people on the dangers in occupying the premises. She also called on the residents not to politicize the action and denied that the previous government had sold the premises. Mr Abraham Reynolds, Tema Metropolitan Officer of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), said a survey the Geological Department conducted five years ago on the premises showed that the school is sited in an earthquake prone area.

Mr Reynolds said the Department suggested in its report that the building must be pulled down and the clay soil treated before a new school is built.

He appealed to the school authorities to obey the orders of the Education Directorate to avoid disaster and said even though Aggrey Road JHS also has cracks, it has not been ascertained by experts that it is located in an earthquake area. Efforts to get the Education Director to comment on the issue were futile as she was said to be in a meeting.