Students pelt tutors with stones

Efutu (C/R), Feb. 13, GNA - Students of Efutu Secondary Technical on Friday pelted their tutors with stones when the tutors attempted to demonstrate against the Headmistress, Rev Dr Araba Grahl. The tutors said they wanted to demonstrate against the headmistress's alleged disrespect for them and her refusal to pay them their teaching allowances.

The tutors, who carried placards some of which read "enough is enough", "Grahl must go" and "be respectful", returned to the staff common room to escape the anger of the over 1,200 students. The tutors have therefore called for the immediate removal of the headmistress or all the 55 tutors should be released because discipline had broken down and students cannot be controlled by tutors as long as the headmistress stayed in office. A spokesman for the tutors, Mr Bernard Buah, said Rev. Dr Grahl who took over the admin istration of the school about a year ago, had no respect for teachers.

He said this was frustrating them in their efforts to instil discipline in the school and that she had also failed to pay them their teaching allowances contributed by the PTA for extra classes. Mr Buah alleged that in November last year the tutors sent a petition to the Metropolitan Director of Education on the issue and concerns raised were the headmistress's poor human relations, humiliation of teachers in the presence of students, dealing with students without consulting tutors and the release of tutors without reason.

He said a five-member committee chaired by the former headmaster of Saint Augustine's College, Mr Frank Amissah, was set up to investigate the matter. He said the Regional Director of Education, Ms Rosemond Blay, acted on the recommendations of the committee and instructed the headmistress to pay the allowances after meeting them about two weeks ago. Mr Buah said efforts by the teachers, the chief of Efutu and the PTA chairman could persuade her to pay them their allowances.