STMA to deal with churches operating from schools

The Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) would soon commission a task force to get rid of all churches operating from schools within the metropolis.

Although an agreement was reached between the leadership of the Association of Churches in Classrooms (ACC) in 2006 to look for alternative places of worship by 2009, little had been done by these churches to relocate.

Mr John Laste with the Education Sub-Committee of the STMA said the committee and the ACC reached an agreement some nine years ago to stop operating from classrooms due to the havoc their activities created to school infrastructure and property.

He said the assembly, therefore, gave the churches up to December 31, 2014 to vacate or face sanctions.

He said the task force would work in the evenings and weekends when religious activities were predominant.

Mr Franklin Dzigbede, Metropolitan Director of Education, who corroborated the information, said the churches were causing more harm than good to school infrastructure and other properties.

He said charts and pictorial teaching and learning materials continue to suffer destruction at the hands of these churches whiles electricity bills were always on the rise coupled with other security matters.

The STMA had 103 schools out of which over 75 per cent, especially schools in a cluster, are used for church “business”.