The appeal was made during a sod-cutting ceremony by the Adansi Asokwa District Chief Executive (DCE) and the Member of Parliament for the area for the construction of a three-unit classroom block and teachers’ quarters. The project is expected to significantly improve teaching and learning conditions at the school.

Speaking to Adom News, some students said learning becomes unbearable during the rainy season due to the school’s existing wooden classroom structures. They explained that stray animals often enter the classrooms and soil the environment, making it unsafe and uncomfortable for studies. The students also cited inadequate teaching staff and a lack of teaching and learning materials as major challenges, appealing to government and other stakeholders for urgent support.

The Adansi Asokwa DCE, Albert Dakura, stressed that the project must be properly supervised by all stakeholders to ensure quality work, warning that shoddy construction would not stand the test of time. He further cautioned that anyone found engaging in the illegal sale or purchase of building materials meant for the project would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Schools reveal a nation’s instincts with remarkable honesty. They are the small republics where rules operate without ceremony, where power is exercised without speeches, and where children discover whether authority intends to empower them, or simply contain them.

It is in one of these republics, Wesley Girls’ High School, that Ghana now faces a constitutional test with wide implications: can a school that is publicly supported require every student to live as though they belong to one faith?

Wesley Girls has, for generations, maintained a firm Methodist character. Chapel is compulsory. Islamic prayer is not allowed. Hijabs are barred. Fasting during Ramadan is prohibited. These are not vestiges of a bygone tradition; they are the living structure of school life.

The Supreme Court must now determine whether these practices are compatible with the Constitution.

This case is not a quarrel about where to put prayer mats. It is a confrontation between two visions of what the Constitution protects: the individual dignity that Jack Donnelly describes as the foundation of human rights, and the communitarian belief that institutions may enforce a shared identity for the sake of discipline and unity. When these ideas collide, the courtroom becomes the arena where a society decides how it treats those who stand in the minority.

The Claim:

The challenge to Wesley Girls is grounded in a straightforward principle: human rights belong to people because they are human, not because they belong to a particular school, religion, or institution. They do not evaporate when a student crosses a compound. They travel with her.

A Muslim student walking onto campus does not become a blank page waiting to be rewritten. She arrives as a person entitled to manifest her religion, in dress, prayer, and observance. The Constitution says so plainly. It protects not only belief but the expression of belief. A right that exists only in private is not a right at all.

Stopping a student from praying, wearing a hijab, or fasting during Ramadan is not a matter of school management. It strikes at what Donnelly calls the minimum conditions for a dignified life. When a student must hide her faith to fit in, the harm is not administrative, it is personal.

Equality strengthens this further. A rule that appears neutral, such as banning all headgear, may still be discriminatory if it disproportionately burdens one group. The Constitution cares about the effect of the rule, not the neatness of its wording.

And Ghana’s secular character is decisive: a public-supported institution cannot compel students to take part in worship in a faith they do not share. The state may organise classrooms, but it may not organise consciences.

The Response:

Wesley Girls, supported by the Attorney-General, offers a different narrative. In their view, the school is a carefully cultivated community whose Methodist roots are essential to its character. Asking the school to abandon those roots, they argue, risks dismantling the culture of discipline and academic excellence for which it is renowned.

This is the communitarian argument: institutions derive meaning from shared values, and those who join them understand the nature of the community they are entering. Uniformity is presented as cohesion rather than control.

The school also leans on a basic truth: no right is absolute. Boarding houses require order. Too many overlapping religious practices, they argue, may disrupt routine and supervision. The intention, they insist, is not to suppress belief but to manage a complex environment.

The reasoning resembles the European idea of a “margin of appreciation,” where institutions are sometimes given leeway to balance competing considerations.

But Donnelly warns that tradition and institutional identity can easily mask exclusion. Cultural justifications, he notes, often become the language through which power explains itself.

His question remains uncomfortable: what happens when an institution’s self-definition requires individuals to suppress essential parts of themselves?

The human-rights answer is clear: institutions may be proud, but they may not be coercive.

The Real Contest: Two Understandings of the Constitution

Beneath the legal filings lie two different understandings of what the Constitution is for.

One sees the Constitution as a shield for the individual. Under this view, a student enters a school carrying rights that cannot be bargained away or trimmed to fit an institutional preference.

The other sees the Constitution as a framework that allows institutions to preserve their coherence. Rights exist, but always in conversation with tradition, order, and identity.

The Court must choose which view governs Ghana’s public education system.

What Other Countries Have Learned

Courts in other countries have confronted similar disputes. South Africa requires schools to reasonably accommodate religious practices that do not disrupt learning. Nigeria protects the wearing of the hijab. Kenya, by contrast, upheld a school’s right to prohibit it, a decision widely criticised.

The broader global movement points in one direction: mature constitutional orders favour accommodation, not compulsion.

The Institutional Choice Ahead

Institutions can either widen the space for belonging or narrow it. A rule that tells students, “You may attend, but you must quiet the parts of yourself we do not recognise,” belongs firmly in the latter category.

Donnelly writes that human rights exist so that individuals meet authority with dignity intact. Any rule that undermines that dignity must be viewed with suspicion.

What the Supreme Court Must Resolve

The Court faces three questions that will shape the future of public education in Ghana:

• Do students carry their religious rights with them into school?
• Can a public-supported institution compel participation in religious practices?
• May a school that draws from the public purse privilege one religious identity above all others?

If the Court answers in favour of rights, Wesley Girls can preserve its Christian heritage, but without enforcing it. The hymns may continue. The compulsion must stop.

If the Court goes the other way, it risks creating pockets of public life where the Constitution operates only partially.

The Classroom as the Republic’s Mirror

Constitutions do not fail on paper. They fail when they stop shaping the institutions that govern everyday life. And few institutions shape citizens as powerfully as schools.

The Wesley Girls case is a test, not of religion, but of the Republic’s integrity. It offers the Court an opportunity to affirm that tradition enriches public life but does not control it, and that no child must choose between her God and her education.

For a country committed to dignity, equality, and pluralism, that is not a lofty ideal.
It is the only consistent position the Constitution allows.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Dr. Anti said while teaching in local languages is a good idea in principle, the practical implementation poses significant challenges due to the lack of uniformity and preparedness across the country.

“It’s easy to say we should teach in our local languages, but implementation won’t be as easy as it sounds,” he noted.

Dr Anti emphasized that the Ministry of Education must ensure the right structures, rules, and training are in place before enforcing such a policy.

He questioned how teachers posted to different communities would effectively teach in local languages they may not speak and urged the ministry to focus on developing a clear implementation framework.

Dr. Anti added that education policies must go through proper testing and continuous evaluation before being rolled out nationwide.

His comments follow an announcement by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who declared that the use of Ghanaian mother tongues is now compulsory in all schools.

However, Deputy Minister Dr. Clement Apaak later clarified that the directive applies only to the early years of basic education.

Source: Farida Seidu| Adomonline

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The centres, established under the leadership of late former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings through the 31st December Women’s Movement, were created to support working mothers and promote girl-child education. 
 
In the 1980s and 1990s, they symbolised hope. A place where women could work with peace of mind, knowing their children were safe and learning.
 
Today, that legacy has mostly withered. The other four centres at Ash Town, Adum, Asawase, and Sawaba have all collapsed. 

 
Some of their structures have been taken over as residences; others have simply vanished, overtaken by time and neglect. In some places, it is impossible to tell that a school once stood there.
 
At Ash Town, the site of one of the closed centres, the environment tells its own story. 
 
The headmistress of a nearby school, Ash M/A Kindergarten, Mrs. Charity Agyeman Duah, said the decline began when the area’s poor sanitation drove parents away.
 
“It’s no more functioning so most parents brought their wards here. I personally wouldn’t take my ward to where there is a refuse dump, so I’ve written letters to stakeholders to assist. I wish they can be able to do something about it,” she pleaded. 
 
At Bantama, the only surviving centre continues to operate up to Junior High School Three (JHS 3). 

 
Teachers there, refusing to speak on camera, mentioned the pride about keeping the founder’s vision alive, even as they admit the challenges of doing so with limited support.
 
The survival of the Bantama centre feels less like success and more like remembrance. A final testament to what the 31st December Women’s Movement once stood for; where laughter once echoed across five communities, only one still rings.

The loss of these centres is more than the decay of buildings. It is the slow passing of a legacy, a dream built for women and children, now largely forgotten.

Source: Emmanuella Ewurabena Acquaye

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, a team from the security council, including the district chief executive of Bosomtwe, Engr. Abdul Hamid, stormed the illegal mining site to ward off the miners.

This follows a JoyNews reportage on the rampant destruction of the lands close to the school endangering the lives of teachers and learners.

The school is not the only infrastructure threatened by the illicit activity. The Konkomba Health Centre also hangs by the thread from the unrelenting destruction.

Engr. Hamid after visiting the site described the scene as “unacceptable”.

“I led a decisive operation to halt illegal mining activities in Konkoma, where rampant destruction was occurring perilously close to a school and a clinic. The devastation witnessed at the site is unacceptable and demands swift and resolute action,” he wrote on his facebook page.

The DCE says he has formally requested the police to launch a thorough investigation into the egregious offense to identify and apprehend individuals responsible for the environmental atrocity.

He has also summoned traditional leaders and assembly members for their possible involvement in the illegal operation.

“The traditional leaders and the assembly member have been invited to explain their possible involvement or negligence in allowing this situation to escalate. Accountability will be pursued to the fullest extent,” he noted.

A visit to the site revealed large tracts of lands excavated by the miners leaving behind huge and deepening pits.

The DCE revealed plans are underway to reclaim the site as two excavators are currently on site to cover the dug holes to thwart any danger.

“To mitigate further damage, I have sanctioned an immediate reclamation of the affected lands. Two excavators are currently on site, working diligently to restore the area under the watchful eyes of the Ghana Police Service,” he added.

He reiterated his commitment to safeguarding the environment and protecting the safety of the residents living in the community.

“The safety and well-being of our people and the preservation of our natural resources are paramount. We will not tolerate any activities that compromise these values. Our resolve to protect our environment and uphold the law will continue to guide our actions,” he said.

Source: Joseph Obeng

The furious storm had turned the once vibrant school block—filled with eager young minds—into patches of mangled roofing sheets, broken wooden beams, and scattered debris.
The storm not only denied the children access to their classrooms but also left behind dangerous debris that threatened their lives.

One man’s heart could not bear to look away. When philanthropist and businessman, Alhaji Seidu Agongo, saw the viral photos of these desperate students, he said he felt something break inside him.
“Those were not just pictures,” he said in an interview. “Those were my own children—Ghana’s future—sitting and loitering around in the dirt and scattered nails.”

Within hours, Agongo was on the phone with contractors. No committees, no red tape—just a father figure who could not sleep knowing children were studying under trees with exams just weeks away.

The transformation still brings tears to the eyes of Assistant Head Teacher, Jonas Mbazoyinbil.

“I watched my students lose hope every day. It was impossible to have meaningful classes, and the children were loitering about,” he said.
Three weeks later, the students walked into a classroom that gleamed like a palace. The roof had been replaced with new materials and the walls freshly painted, giving them a cleaner, more comfortable environment to study in.

Before

Elated community elders and residents, who showered praises on Alhaji Agongo during the commissioning of the refurbished school, recalled how the roof had been completely ripped away—leaving students and teachers staring at the open sky where their ceiling once provided shelter.

For the students of Sawaliga Basic School, education had suddenly become a luxury they could no longer afford.

With the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) looming just two weeks away, final-year students found themselves homeless in their own school.

The sight was heartbreaking: children who should have been preparing for their future sat on broken concrete blocks, trying to study from water-damaged textbooks in open-air “classrooms.”
Teachers attempted to conduct lessons in the open, their voices competing with the wind as students squinted against the sun, desperately trying to focus.

Social Media

The plight of the school came to Alhaji Agongo’s attention when a determined youth leader, Solomon Zinekena, posted photos of the situation on social media, appealing for help.
His message was simple yet powerful: “Our children need your help.”

The call reached the ears of Alhaji Agongo, whose heart was moved by the suffering of these rural students.
Without fanfare or media attention, he immediately dispatched contractors to begin reconstruction work.
What followed was nothing short of miraculous.

Within three weeks, the once-destroyed school building had been transformed into a modern, beautiful structure.

The new roof gleamed under the sun, fresh paint brightened the walls, and sturdy floors replaced the debris-strewn ground.
Students who had been studying under trees now walked through corridors that sparkled with hope.

“Education is the foundation of our nation’s future, and if we can intervene to help, it helps,” Alhaji Agongo said.

Mr. Mbazoyinbil could barely contain his emotions as he watched his students settle into their new environment.
“We had lost all hope,” he said. “But this man restored our faith in humanity.”

Development Chief

The community’s appreciation was overwhelming. In a traditional ceremony, elders enskinned Agongo as their development chief—even though he was not there in person.
They gave him a citation, a sheep, and a smock—symbols of their deepest respect and gratitude.

For eyewitnesses, Sawaliga Basic School now stands as a testament to the power of compassion and community action.

While challenges remain—three classes still share one room due to space constraints—the foundation for learning has been restored.

Students once again have hope, teachers have renewed purpose, and a community has learned that sometimes, help comes from the most unexpected places.

Source: Seidu Agongo

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The boy was pronounced dead at Pantang Hospital after being rushed there on a motorbike by his parent.

According to Adom News report, the late KG1 pupil was among three children who were playing in a neighbour’s compound when he fell into the pit.

People in the community became aware of the incident after the two other children rushed to inform them that their friend had fallen into the pit.

The mother of the deceased, little Francis, Margaret Sarpong on Adom Midday News expressed shock at the death of her son.

She said the death is due to negligence on the part of the teachers, who could not safeguard the life of her child.

6 YR OLD DIES

She is seeking justice to ensure the protection of other children in the school.

Residents in the New Legon community say the lives of pupils in the school are at risk.

They alleged that, three children have died in similar circumstances in the last three years.

They believe that fencing the school could prevent such tragedies.

The incident has been reported to the Adentan Police.

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Videos appearing to show students at the Lead British International School assaulting their peers have been circulated on social media.

The videos sparked sharp criticism online and angry parents were seen storming the school.

On Tuesday, the school authorities announced a three-day closure to enable them to probe the matter.

Kabiru Musa, a senior education official, told the Punch news website that the country’s Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye ordered the closure of the school.

In a statement, the school said it was “deeply concerned” about the reported incidents of bullying, pledging to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter.

The school, established in 2007, offers a British curriculum blended with the Nigerian education system.

It is rated as one of the most expensive schools in Nigeria, according to the local media.

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The musician took to Twitter to reveal his plans while expressing eagerness to break ground and initiate the philanthropic endeavor.

This is in line with the celebration of his 25 years in his Hip-Hop career, as he revealed his vision is to inspire other people to be great and uplifted.

The school project also arrives at a time when Ja Rule has sealed a lucrative music deal reportedly valued at $100 million.

He becomes the second American celebrity to invest in educational development in Ghana, coming after comedian Michael Blackson who launched his academy last year.

Michael Blackson established in Agona Nsaba, Central Region, aimed at providing free education.

Blackson’s school offers free uniforms upon enrollment.

The school started from kindergarten to class 3 initially, with plans to expand a grade each year.

To ensure quality education, each class will be supported by two teachers.

One particular incident that struck a chord with readers was the resounding slap she received from the headmaster, solely based on her appearance.

Describing the vivid details of the encounter, Yvonne shared her struggles with boarding life and the strict regulations regarding students’ hairstyles.

She revealed that it was deemed offensive to keep one’s hair untidy, which ultimately led to the headmaster’s physical reprimand.

“As a final year student, I found it challenging to comply with the rules of maintaining neatly styled hair while eagerly anticipating the opportunity to perm or braid it outside of school. Unfortunately, this desire for self-expression resulted in my worst memory at Aggrey Memorial,” Yvonne Nelson recalled.

She continued, “On the eve of my departure from school, the headmaster bestowed upon me an unforgettable experience—a resounding slap. The reason behind his actions was my supposedly ‘bushy’ hair. Students were not permitted to wear their natural hair beyond a specific length. However, the final year girls, myself included, preserved our hair in anticipation of styling it later. Little did I know that this act would attract my worst nightmare in the school.”

Yvonne Nelson also detailed the unfavorable conditions she faced as a boarding student, particularly in relation to the school’s dining hall.

“To say that the food was terrible would be an understatement when it came to describing the situation at Aggrey Memorial. We even gave one of the soups a nickname, ‘moftoto.’ Whether it was groundnut or palm nut soup, it was so diluted that if you peered into it, you could see your own reflection. After a few minutes of being left untouched, the soup would settle in layers—water on top and particles beneath. It became a sort of scientific experiment whose results we didn’t benefit from. Recalling some of those memories from the dining hall still makes me grimace,” Yvonne shared.

She continued, “A friend once discovered a toenail in the kenkey he was eating, while another student found a cockroach wing in her food. These anecdotes regarding boarding school food are far from pleasant, but Aggrey Memorial took it to a whole new level.”

Yvonne Nelson went on to describe the challenges faced in terms of hygiene and facilities as a result of overcrowding.

“Our digestive systems struggled to extract the nutrients our teenage bodies needed, leaving us with the task of disposing of the rest. This led to another adventure—the oversubscribed toilet and bath facilities, which made maintaining sanitary conditions nearly impossible. Sometimes we were forced to bathe outdoors. And the only way to avoid smelling as if we had swum in the toilet was to resort to what we called ‘take away,'” she recounted.

These circumstances pushed some of Yvonne’s peers to seek transfers to other schools.

“Many students couldn’t endure the harsh conditions, including my best friend at the time, Fianko Bossman, who expressed his inability to cope and found an opportunity to leave for Pope John Secondary and Minor Seminary in Koforidua before our second year. Another close friend, Laurina Mensah, departed before we reached our final year when her mother came to take her to Italy. From that point on, I lost track of her,” Yvonne reflected.

She added, “For those of us without an alternative, we were faced with two choices—either give up or make the best of the situation. I chose the latter. I wasn’t an exceptional student academically, just hanging in there, knowing that my soul, mind, and heart had already departed from the school.”

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Speaking to Adom News, some community members said their children have no access to quality education, which they said will affect the growth of the community.

Several complaints have been lodged with the ruling government, and assurances have been given them, yet no structure has been erected for the pupils.

Rather, the residents said the government provided them with pavilions, which they have converted into a school.

Currently, the pupils have no uniforms, chairs or proper amenities, and the school is being run by one volunteer teacher.

The teacher, Jamoon James, told Adom News that he has to balance teaching three different classes, adding that as and when he is out of town, the school is forced to close.

The residents are, therefore, calling on the government to shift his attention to the less- privileged community and ease their burden.

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A post shared by John Dumelo (@johndumelo1)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Dumelo (@johndumelo1)

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The situation, according to the children, is tiresome. Some usually miss some of the lessons due to the long distance.

During a visit to the school, Adom News observed the young ones walk through tick and dangerous forest to get to school.

In view of this, Nneka Foundation, in partnership with Village Bicycle Project, has presented over 100 bicycles to some pupils who walk long distances to school daily.

The Chief Executive Officer of Nneka Foundation, Cecilia Fiaka, said the initiative is to reduce the stress and challenges the children face daily as they commute to school.

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She also appealed to other organisations and government for support to reduce the suffering among the children in the district.

The Assembly Member of the area, Dorothy Donkor says the project started in the first quarter of 2021 with a 6-month completion duration.

But the hope of easing congestion and heat in the classrooms remains far-fetched as the project is abandoned.

The school has a student population of 1,500.

Headmistress of the school, Benedicta Affainie, says each classroom has 55-60 students.

According to her, some of the classroom blocks are not in good condition. Cracks in the building and leaking roof impede teaching and learning.

She is compelled to relocate pupils from one classroom for safety. The Assembly Member says effort to get the abandoned structure completed has yielded no results.

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Similar projects have been abandoned at Sarpeh and Asamang in the Ejisu Municipality. The three projects were awarded to one contractor, George Kwabena Boateng.

He claims the projects were awarded to him on sub-contract verbally by Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Bosiako and the former Ejisu MCE, Serwah Derchie.

He was paid to complete work at the gable level which has been executed.

Questions remain unanswered on the award of such contracts with proper documentation

Chief of Ejisu Asamang, Nana Prempeh Bruhyiaman feels disrespected on the failure to execute the projects as assured. He called on the government to source for funds to complete the projects.

The MCE for Ejisu, Samuel Oduro Frimpong, says he has no documentation on the three  projects. 

He will therefore write to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development on the way forward.

Attempts to get Bernard Antwi Bosiako to respond to the allegations yielded no results.

Nine structures that served as classrooms, dormitory and kitchen at Laurenda International school in Kanvili were not spared.

The fire that started from the kitchen of the school completely burnt the wooden structure in minutes.

However, a quick intervention by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) salvaged about 15 other structures and their content from the fire.

The Northern Regional commander of the GNFS, ACFO I. James Ankrah confirming the incident to Adom News said, his men arrived at the fire scene when the flames were very high.

He added that fighting the fire was not easy due to the nature of the structures in the school, but firefighters were able to control the spread.

The regional commander therefore appealed to the residents to be cautious of how they use electricity and gas in homes and working places to prevent fire disasters.

Cases of fire outbreak are on the high in recent times; more than four fire outbreaks have been recorded in less than a month.

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Speaking to JoyNews’ Doreen Avio, he explained that he grew up poor and was sleeping in shelters among other places.

He stated that he worked hard to get to a place in life where he can impact the lives of others, especially children.

“When God blesses you, you have to bless others. I came from absolutely nothing. I remember being at Ashiaman where it’s like nothing. I was in Liberia for most of my time where people open the doors and let you stay in their homes. We lived in a shelter or home. I grew up from nothing, but I never forgot where I came from. I always put God first so this is giving back,” he said in an interview with Doreen Avio.

Mr Blackson added that he decided to cut down on unnecessary spending and save towards things that were worthy and important.

One of such things he said, is the school he is building. He also noted that the school would be free for all pupils. The students enrolling in the institution would not pay tuition fees.

“This is money that guys would go to the club in the states and spend. If you go to Vegas and pay for a section of a club it’s like $20,000. It could probably pay for half my teachers in a year’s time. I am cutting down on other things that weren’t necessary and putting that money towards something that is necessary,” he said.

The school, Mr Blackson said, is expected to begin operations in September 2022.

He revealed he has been in Ghana more often in the past year because he wants to keep an eye on the construction – mostly to ensure the school reopens as planned.

“In fact, I got a bigger construction company to take over the project. I have a timeline. It has to be done within six months because in September I want the kids to go to school,” Mr Blackson added.

Meanwhile, he has revealed that First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has promised to be at the opening ceremony of the school.

According to him, the First Lady had told him during a meeting that she was proud of the work he was doing at Nsaba and excited about the opportunities the school presents to children in Nsaba.

He told Doreen Avio that “she (First Lady) was excited because a lot of times people do come to build schools, but there is a difference when it comes to building a school and making it free for the children.

“There is a difference because even though it is free for the kids, you pay for the teachers, this and that. She was very proud of me and she says she wants be there to cut the ribbon when the school opens.”

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A video he shared on his Instagram page also captured veteran actors; Agya Koo, Kofi Adjorlolo, Akrobeto, Kalybos, musicians Mr Drew, Medikal, among others.

According to him, a lot more are coming but it is unclear the rationale behind the project.

Posting the video, he captioned, My superstars more are coming @sandra_sarfo_ababio.

However, the post has been met with mixed reactions on social media.

Some fans and followers have taken to the comment section to name some personalities they wish to see.

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But others have described the project as unnecessary, asking about the benefits the students will derive in pursuit of academic excellence.

Watch the video below:

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The student, identified as ThankGod Emumirigwe, allegedly drowned in a borrow pit on the school premises.

The student, from the Mechanical Department of the technical school, had died while bathing in the borrow pit after a grass cutting exercise last Friday, October 15.

According to sources: “The students of the school were doing labour and when they finished working at about 11:am, some of them went to the borrow pit to freshen up.

“As they were bathing, it was discovered that the boy was drowning and some of the students who were with him brought him out and then alerted the school authority.

“The source alleged that the deceased died on his way to the hospital and was officially confirmed by the hospital management.”

A source alleged that the principal was approached and begged to rush the boy to the hospital but he asked them to call the labour master.

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“The labour master was not around at the time of the incident and the principal resorted to videoing the students, probably thinking that they were pretending,” the source added.

Those present had to go out in search of a tricycle, popularly called keke, to rush the student to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.

The incident sparked a protest by students of the school who vandalised the building where the principal’s office is in the school.

The principal was arrested following the student’s death.

This was after a parent assaulted a teacher for disciplining her ward.

The Ghana Education Service has relaxed the rules on corporal punishment in schools, so it was not clear the nature or severity of the punishment meted out to the pupil in question.

The school’s management committee indicated that a parent came to the school and invoked curses on one of the teachers who, she claimed, had punished the child for wrongdoing.

The Committee said that was not the first time such an incident had happened in the school.

Narrating the incident to Citi News, Deputy Chairman of the School Management Committee for the Adwumam/Manhyia R/C Basic School, Apostle Kelvin Oppong said:

“The school children were having their weekly examination when one of them was engaging in examination malpractice. A teacher at the primary five corrected the said child. The child then went home to inform his mother that a teacher had flogged him.

“The mother came to the school and was very angry amidst assaulting the teachers of the school. The teachers asked her to calm down, so they can call the Headteacher to resolve the issue, but she will not listen and then went ahead to invoke a curse on three teachers.”

Some school children were seen loitering about when Citi News visited the community.

One of them, Nsiah Michael, told Citi News that, “we all love to be in school always because education is very good. My mother has told me that if the school is not reopening soon, she will enroll me in another school.”

Some residents expressed concern about the development.

A Unit Committee Vice-Chair in the area, Isaac Boateng, indicated that the closure of the school is threatening the future of the children.

“Everyone in this community, including the Assembly and Unit Committee Members, is worried about the continued stay of the pupils in the house due to the shutdown of the school. We are appealing to the parents to stop the invocation of curses on the teachers here with the slightest provocation. The closure of the school is a threat to the future of our children because their colleagues in other schools are in school while they are home,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for the Kwabre East Municipality, Osei Assibey Bonsu, says he is leading efforts to ensure the school is reopened.

Chairman of the Ghana Blind Union in the region, Philip Asiedu, explained the establishment will see members get educated or equipped with vocational skills.

This, he said, will improve their standard of living and take most of them, who have resorted to begging, off the street.

Mr Asiedu made the appeal after the Akontombra District Assembly distributed some items to 64 of their members at Nsawora.

As part of their yearly routine, the Assembly donated among other things sewing kits, deep freezer, barbering kits, fufu pounding machines, to resource the members for their daily activities.

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Mr Asiedu explained the Assembly came to the realisation that money donated to the union does not serve its intended purpose, hence the decision to donate materials.

On his part, Akontombra District Chief Executive, Yawson Amoah, said the assembly will in whatever means support persons with disabilities in the district and also, a team would be monitoring the items that have been distributed to them so that they would be used judiciously.

The ‘death trap’ Esaase MA Primary School in the Upper Denkyira East District of the Central region has been identified as one of the schools that have produced some of Ghana’s high profiled personalities.

The 30-year-old structure that should not host any human being let alone children hasn’t seen any renovation since the community built it through a communal labour.

The numerous calls on the government and other old students, who now hold prestigious positions in Ghana, seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

According to the Chairman of the area’s unit committee, Yaw Berko, some of these persons are now high personalities in the military, police and other security services and other well-to-do individuals.

He mentioned one Fetus Awuah Coffie, Nana Kwadwo Sebe Agyemang, a sub-chief and alumni of the school, who, he noted, has been supportive throughout the years.

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Others include Paul Boateng, a native of the town, Maame Serwaah in the immigration service, as well as other top-notch security personnel.

He made the disclosure on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem’s Beyi W’ano, to wit ‘state your side of the story’, which is a new people-focused segment, a kind of production that calls on duty bearers to respond to the people’s problem.

He said they have done all they could to ensure that the situation is resolved but nothing has been done and officials only come there to take pictures and refuse to do something about it.

Mr Berko urged the aforementioned individuals and other well-meaning citizens to come on Board and help refurbish the school.

Meanwhile, Chief of Denkyira Esaase in the Central Region, Nana Abbey Kwame III, has vowed the school will not be opened even if all basic schools and others resume in January 2021.

Listen to Mr Berko in the audio attached above:

The chief, Nana Panyin II, who admitted knowledge of the galamsey site near the Omanpe school compound in his community, said neglect from NADMO and the municipal assembly informed his decision to offer the portion as barter.

He indicated several reports made to the assembly had fallen on deaf ears as a carnal behind the school poses death trap and causes flooding anytime it rains.

However, Mr Akwaboah, reacting to the claims in an interview with Adom News, described the chief’s claims as false.

According to him, the chief has never set foot in his office since he came to the municipality.

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• School premises turned into galamsey site

Admitting the flooding issue in the community he, however, indicated the galamsey site was not part of the areas most affected.

He reiterated the chief gave the galamsey site which is close to the school building to miners and pleaded with them to construct the carnal.

The premises of Omanpe Junior High School have reportedly been turned into a galasmey site following a decision by the chief to offer it in a barter agreement.

The school is said to be a three-unit block near completion and near the Elubo-Enchi road in the Aowin District of the Western region.

 The miners are said to be employees of a Chinese mining company.

A resident in the town, only identified as Jerry, speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem said the chief was very much aware but had done nothing about the situation.

However, Chief of Omanpe, Nana Oppong Panyin II, speaking in the same interview, argued he offered the land for a good course.

According to him, a drain behind the school had become a death trap while the area, including the chief’s palace, gets flooded anytime it rains.

“The company came to our rescue and offered to divert the waterways to resolve the flooding issue which I agreed to and offered part of the land in exchange upon their request,” he said.

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Meanwhile, some six suspects who were arrested have been granted bail with investigations ongoing.

The six; four Ghanaians and two Chinese nationals were arrested at a time they were mining near the compound of the school.

 According to the Enchi District Police Commander, Supt. Bernard Akotoge, they have been granted bail to offer them an opportunity to provide their concession document.

According to him, his decision to drop out over his dumbness was also due to the lack of support which he could not endure further.

He disclosed this in an interview on Zionfelix’ ‘uncut show’.

“I was not academically good and could not even spell my own name Francis Amo or my day born name; three-letter words Yaw,” he said.

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However, he decided to focus on music, a gift he realised God had given him through his days of being a drummer and a praise and worship leader.

When questioned on how he is able to write his songs now, Mr Amo said they are inspirations from his everyday life experiences.

“I record the songs immediately they come into my mind and take it to the studio. I currently have over 500 recordings on my phone,” he added.

Watch the video below:

In a live video session with Ubi Franklin, he narrated his road to stardom, revealing that he skipped school for a whole year because of music.

He said: “When I started music, I didn’t think it was going to go big, I was doing it just to do music. Over time, money started coming.

“My daddy was a disciplinarian, I didn’t even know my dad had that much money.

“I was on the run for like three months, cause my dad found out I was not in school for a whole year.”

Watch the video of him speaking below:

The GES in a post on Facebook said contact hours for the 2019/2020 academic year has been increased from 1,080 hours to 1,134 hours.

All you need to know;

• The basic principle of the academic calendar is that every track of students will have 8 months of contact time in a 12-month calendar.
• In the case of the 2019/2020 academic calendar, it is September 2019 to August 2020.
• Students in both Double-Track and Single-Track schools receive their 8 months minimum in the 12-month cycle.
• Semester 2 for Single-Track schools is five (5) months: January 5th to June 5th, 2020. This includes statutory breaks for national holidays and a mid-semester break.
• Double-Track schools, each track of students will have their 8 months of schooling by the end of August 2020.
• First semester for Form 2 Gold ends on May 8th, Second Semester for Form 2 Gold students is: May 11th to August 28th, 2020.
• Form 2 Gold will break for Easter and will also have mid-semester break in June 2020.
• The Double-Track calendar allows for uninterrupted period of academic work for Form 3 students.
• To provide additional time for Form 3 students on both Single and Double-Track Schools to prepare for their final examinations, they return on January, 5th and stay till June 4th, 2020 (end of WASSCE).
• The 2019/2020 Free SHS Academic Calendar is well thought out and with input from key stakeholders. Below are the details of the new academic calendar.

Source: Ghana Education Service on Facebook

The artiste through his New Africa Nation initiative, started an orphanage in 2007 which has now been turned into a school.

Speaking on the Cosmopolitan Mix on Joy FM, Fuse ODG said that the school built in Akosombo has 250 pupils currently enrolled.

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“A lot of them [the student] are grown now because we started this in 2007. We’re working on the secondary school and we’re actually raising funds for it,” he told Mamavi Owusu-Aboagye, host of the show.

Fuse ODG, born Nana Richard Abiona, stated that the pupils don’t have to pay fees, however, some parents who feel the need to contribute are allowed to help.

“It’s not compulsory if you can’t afford it. A lot of the kids even stay over because they have nowhere else to go,” the ‘Antenna’ hitmaker stated.

According to him, the expenses are taken care of by himself and funds raised by his friends. He revealed that some of the proceeds he got from ‘Boa Me’ the Ed Sheeran song he co-wrote, others from his songs and shows, are put into taking care of the school.

The Asante Akyem South Municipal Assembly has donated 30 desks to the Adansi M/A Primary School to aid teaching and learning.

The donation followed an Adom News’ broadcast on pupils being forced to sit on mats during lessons due to lack of furniture.

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A visit to the school by Adom News’ reporter Isaac Amoako, prior to the donation, saw pupils lament that they stand in the class while others struggle to share the few desks available.

The Asante Akyem South Municipal Chief Director, Alexander Frimpong made the donation on behalf of the Assembly.

Speaking in an interview with Adom News after the presentation, the pupils, who could not hide their joy, prayed for God’s blessings for the Municipal Chief Executive, Alexander Frimpong and Municipal Education Director, Evelyn Kerina Benewaa for the support.

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A kindergarten teacher of Adansi M/A Primary School, Marian Arthur, on behalf of the authorities, expressed appreciation to the Assembly for fulfilling its promise.

The rate of unemployment in Africa has always become a topic of discussion.

Graduates from tertiary institutions always complain of unemployment with some even forming unemployed associations out of frustration to voice their plight to governments in power.

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As a result, a Nigerian boy has taken to Instagram to share a video of himself burning all his school certificates into ashes.

According to the angry lad, he has come to the conclusion that school is a major scam by the “whiteman” to enslave Africans.

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He revealed that he will rather opt for other employment means than attaching his success to his school certificates.

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Filming as he burnt the certificates, he also slammed the leaders for neglecting the masses whom they were called to serve but are rather focusing on feeding their families and themselves first.

Taking to his twitter account, the desperate Nigerian boy asked to be initiated into the secret society to acquire quick wealth.

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He asked, “Church of Satan, how do I join the illuminati? I wanna get rich!”

Contrary to what he was expecting, “Church of Satan”, believed to be the official twitter handle of the popular secret cult in a reply educated him on the real practices of the Illuminati.

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The reply read, “Illuminati basically means ‘enlightened’ so read a book, educate yourself and poof! You are now enlightened. As a bonus, educating yourself is also a good step towards getting a good job which can lead to getting rich. Good luck!

Check out the Tweet below

Illuminati basically means “enlightened” so read a book, educate yourself and poof! You are now enlightened. As a bonus, educating yourself is also a good step towards getting a job which can lead to getting rich. Good luck! https://t.co/MC9cLeSjGu

— The Church Of Satan (@ChurchofSatan) October 30, 2019

Source: Adomonline.com | Abigail Bonney

Over twenty female students of the Fumbisi Senior High School reportedly collapsed after seeing they say was a ghost.

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One student fell from the second floor of the girl’s dormitory after she allegedly saw the frightening creature.

She has since lost her sight despite being rushed to a health centre for treatment.

Daniel Gariba, the government official in charge of the community said the decision to close down the school is necessary as students agitate over the ghost scare.

He said this is the second time the school is witnessing such an incident with the first being reported in 1958.

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In most parts of African societies, believe in ghosts considered spirits of the dead is high.

Some believe ghosts are able to return to areas they once lived and frighten people who offended them.

Source: Africafeeds.com

National Chairman of the People’s National Convention, has questioned the introduction of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) into schools in Ghana.

According to Bernard Mornah, sexual lives of Ghanaians from the famous even to the ordinary person have not been bankrupt without sex education and therefore could not fathom why that sexuality education is needed.

“Some of us didn’t have a comprehensive sexuality education but how bankrupt are our sexual lives? President Akufo-Addo, President Kufuor and John Mahama never did a Comprehensive Sexuality Education when they were in school and I am sure their sexual lives have never been a bad one and all of us by extension,” he told Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

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The Ghana Education Service has assured that the introduction of the CSE into the basic school curriculum will not undermine Ghanaian cultural norms.

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But, Mr Mornah believes CSE is not a major demand of the Ghanaian education service.

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“As we speak there are many schools that still don’t have classrooms, there are many schools that walk like 10 kilometres just to get water to bath. This should be the concern of every non-governmental organisation and not introduce new agenda to our curriculum.

“When they are teaching their children robotics and teaching them how to manufacture computers and all other, it is sexuality that we deserve, this is a big no for us,” he added.

Listen to Mr Mornah in audio above:

Source: Adomonline.com|Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

WATCH THIS — I want to go back to school but English is ‘hard’. – @officiallilwin. #DaybreakHitz pic.twitter.com/wp3Tcx768g

Kumawood actor and musician, Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as ‘Lil Win’, has revealed his major challenge is going back to school though he has the desire of doing so.

According to the actor, who says he dropped out of school at class six due to his poor performance, all efforts to get basic education have been difficult because of his schedule.

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“I have on several occasions employed personal tutors but the schedule is my problem. When they are free to teach I am busy and vice versa,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on Hitz FM’s Daybreak, Lil Win was confident he would have surpassed the level he is presently in the entertainment industry if he had paid much attention to his education.

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“I wish to go back to school but English is ‘hard’. I started and could not go with the flow so maybe I have to study at my own free time,” he said.

Watch video above:

Source: Adomonline.com

According to the children, they no longer feel safe studying in the school which poses as a death trap.

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Speaking in an interview with Adom News, some of the pupils, narrating their ordeal, disclosed that an abandoned classroom building on their compound serves as the home for the snakes.

“We wanted to move into the abandoned uncompleted three-unit classroom block for studies due to the deplorable nature of our classrooms only to discover it was the home of the reptiles,” they said.

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“We have killed over 10 snakes between Tuesday and Wednesday since school resumed,” they added.

Meanwhile, some parents, who spoke to Adom News, appealed to the government for support.

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The deplorable nature of the Agona Nyarkrom Roman Catholic School was in the news about three months ago. The Assembly at the time promised to continue the abandoned project within one month.

However, checks by Adom News suggest the children still study in the deplorable building.

Source: Adomonline.com | Adom News | Kofi Adjei

Some of the students who have been reporting since Monday, have not been able to complete their admission processes due to limited access to staff in charge of the process, following the renewed litigation which has kept almost all the school management busy. 

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Management of the school is, however, warning of looming chaos if authorities do not intervene quickly to resolve the matter. 

The warning comes after students nearly clashed with some local contractors of a Chinese firm, Sinohydro who had come to occupy the disputed building. 

The contractors were met with protesting management and students on Tuesday afternoon when they arrived in the school to monitor renovation works on the house. 

JoyNews observed the development has sparked new tensions in the school and left several fresh students stranded, with little attention from management to help complete their admission processes.

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The workers claimed the property was rented to them by one Alhaji Baba. This is in spite of multiple verdicts by chiefs of Tamale who had adjudicated on the matter.

Not satisfied, Alhaji Baba, purported landlord of the property, proceeded to court. 

Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration, Abdulai Abdul Karim said, further delay by government particularly the Education Minister, Dr. Opoku Prempeh, to intervene in the dispute, will bring about a situation which would jeopardise the safety of the students and affect academic activities in the school. 

Source: Ghana | Joy News | Eliasu Tanko

The absence of doors and windows at the Solid Rock Baptist Academy at Dromankesse in the Bono East region has compelled pupils to carry their furniture to and fro school daily.

According to headteacher of the school, Reverend Emmanuel Ansah-Damoah, this daily ritual for pupils including those in kindergarten and nursery is not only stressful but also worrying.

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He said the last time he saw pupils carry their furniture home was when school closed for the long break two weeks ago and the thought of pupils returning to repeat this same activity breaks Rev. Ansah-Damoah’s heart.

“Our pupils have been forced to carry their chairs and tables home because they are scared some thieves will steal them and so as you can see, [though] we are on vacation, there is no furniture in the classroom because the pupils have taken them to their homes. They will bring them when school re-opens,” he told Adomonline.com.

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According to him, though the only private school in Nkoranza which has a population of about 12,000 and has trained pupils who are now adults in enviable positions, same cannot be said of the facilities.

That notwithstanding, the school continues to make positive impact on the lives of residents.

Rev Ansah-Damoah, therefore, appealed to the government and other philanthropists to support the school.

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

The project follows the discovery of the deplorable state of their classrooms which came up during a visit to the school by members of the Vim Foundation.

In an interview, the headmaster of the school, Samuel Ayitey said the school, which was established in 2011, has since not witnessed any major renovation and now poses as a death trap to pupils and teachers in the school.

“We were motivated to build this school which is the first in Kyeremebebi because children interested in education had to cross a river in the town to the next village to attend school. We are very grateful to Vim Foundation for your intervention,” he said.

Meanwhile, work has commenced on the site for the construction of a Junior High School Block for the school.

Source: Adomonline.com

While their quick, intelligent and eloquent responses thrilled the millions who watch them week after week, little is known of the preparations which birthed that.

The contestants from Presec, St. Augustine’s College and St Peter’s perform so well on stage it almost seems they are keeping to a well-rehearsed script directed by Primetime, organizers of the quiz just to generate public excitement.

Questions from Kojo Yankson on the AM show on JoyNews brought the geniuses closer to viewers and listeners of Joy FM.

During the interview, it was apparent, even to the disinterested observer, that these contestants were made of steel and baked in the hottest fiery furnace.

They approached questions bordering on any sphere of life with the same dexterity and brilliance with which they answer the complex science and maths questions during the Quiz.

 “I don’t hear the cheers when I am focused for the quiz,” was the response of a Presbyterian Boys contestant who was asked if the loud cheers from their supporters affect their performance in any way.  

 What preparations went into the contest?

The role of old students from the various schools kept coming up.  

Alumni of these great give more than just deafening cheers. In unison, all three schools admitted that they have come thus far because of the support of their old boys.

Among other things, contestants from the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School said it is the incentives and direct support of their old students which keeps urging them on.

St. Augustine’s, for example, admit to having a special department dedicated to preparing students for the competition and this has been made possible by the benevolence of their old students’ association.

With such infrastructure, the school undertakes as many mock contests as possible including those with external schools.

These prior preparations help them overcome the pressure and stage fright which usual is typical of highly anticipated national contests.

The role of parents and family members came up, too.

For instance, famous Presec contestant, Dodoo Emmanuel Nii Amu said his sister is his psychologist, who has helped him to give his best at the contest without breaking down or burning out.

Kojo Yankson wondered how the contestants are able to answer varied questions from a broad field like science and maths. They said “we specialize. “

Specific areas are assigned to contestants such that depending on the areas a question comes from, a particular candidate elects to answer.

It is for this reason that some employ the substitution method where a candidate replaces another depending on the area of science the contest is focusing on.

These ensure that the pressure in the contest is evenly distributed.

On their anticipation ahead of the grand finale tomorrow, they said they were not apprehensive.

“Once you qualify to the finals only God has the final say. There are no big schools,” contestant asserted.

Pointing to their future aspirations, it was evenly distributed between the fields of medicine, petrochemical engineering, Computer Science and entrepreneurship.

The Journey so far

The three Schools emerged finalists of a contest which involved some 108 schools across Ghana.

The schools made it to the initial stage after qualifying from their respective regions.

The balloting for the 2019 NSMQ preliminary stage contest was held Saturday, June 15 – an event that was characterised by tension.

Each day, three contests were held at two venues simultaneously and the winners of the 36 contests, together with 18 highest scoring losing schools, will join the 27 seeded schools for the One-eighth stage.

The venues for the competition were the R.S Amegashie Auditorium and the New ‘N’ Block, both on the Legon campus of the University of Ghana.

The first contest took place on Monday, June 17 at the R.S Amegashie Auditorium between Chemu Senior High School, St. Mary’s Sem./Senior High School, Lolobi and EPC Mawuko Girls’ Senior High School.

While the schools that made it to the quarterfinal in 2018 have a seeded spot and will begin the challenge from the one-eighth stage, a better number, including some heavyweights went through the preliminary contests.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

Madam Regina Coffie, Headmistress of the school described the incident as unfortunate and assured that culprits would be punished.

In the video, some students in school uniform were seen mixing the alcoholic beverage with soft drinks, making merry and saying “it is a cure for stomach sore (ulcer)”.

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The Headmistress told the Ghana News Agency that the committee was tasked to identify the girls in the video for appropriate sanctions.

Madam Coffie suspected that the students could be those who finished writing their final West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination about three weeks ago and decided to make a video of themselves getting drunk, knowing very well it was against the code of conduct of the school.

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She called on parents to help sustain discipline in the school by not threatening staff when their wards were punished for breaking school rules.

Source: GNA

Pupils of Agona Bosompa M/A school near Agona Nyarkrom in the Agona West Municipality of the Central region are now forced to learn in a wooden church structure while others learn under cocoa sheds because their uncompleted school building has been abandoned. 

Information gathered by Adom News revealed that a six-unit classroom project at the roofing stage, which was started by the previous government, is now rotting away after almost three years of a new government.

According to the General Secretary of the school’s Parent Teacher Association, Kojo Gura, most parents have withdrawn their wards from the school due to the deplorable nature of the building which poses as a death trap to the pupils.

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In an interview with Adom News, the children said the environment is negatively affecting academic work in the school.

“We are forced to close early anytime it rains because we don’t have conducive shelter and have to share the wooden structure with goats and sheep. We will ask the government to help us complete the building,” they appealed.

Isaac Nyarko, a parent who disclosed he was part of the carpenters who started the roofing three years ago, appealed to the government to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves.

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“All the woods on the building are rotten. We might be forced to withdraw all the children if something is not done quickly,” they said.

Source: Adomonline.com | Adom News | Kofi Adjei

A visit to the school by Adom News reporter Obrempongba K. Owusu, revealed that the classroom building, which comes with teachers’ quarters and other structures, was among eight other projects constructed under the Social Investment Fund (SIF) to improve education and healthcare in the area.

Head teacher of the school, Paul Iddrisu said “there were high hopes the problem would be solved upon completion, but it is said they have been locked because they have not been commissioned.

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“I will therefore urge authorities to, as matter of urgency, commission the building to offer a conducive environment for teaching and learning to take place,” he added.

In an interview with Adom News, a teacher in the school, Unajah Sani recounted the difficulties teachers and pupils face studying under trees.

“The structures have remained locked and are wasting away, we now study under trees where we don’t even have desks so you find pupils sitting on stones and wood logs to learn. Anytime the weather becomes cloudy, lessons have to end which is affecting academic work,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, pupils in the school have appealed to the district assembly to do their best to ensure the building is put to immediate use to enable them have access to quality education for a better future.

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Speaking to the issues, the District Chief Executive for the area, Jackson Kwame Jakayi attributed the delayed commissioning to debts owed by the Assembly.

“The projects have not been commissioned because the Assembly haven’t been able to pay monies it owes SIF contractors coupled with debts inherited from the previous administration.

“But, I can assure you the Assembly is in talks with the contractors to allow the projects to be commissioned and put to use to serve the purposes for which they were built while we take steps to clear the outstanding debts we owe them,” he stated.

Source: Adomonline.com | Adom News | Obrempongba K.Owusu

The school is in such a dilapidated state that pupils have had to sometimes contend with snakes during contact hours.

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The pupils say there are occasions when they had to halt their studies because a snake may have found its way to the classroom.

A source close to the school said a number of reports sent to the Ghana Education Service on the behaviour of the unscrupulous people who use the classrooms for cooking have yielded no action.

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The bad nature of the school also means the school is at the mercy of the weather, forcing it to close anytime the weather threatened to rain.

The featured video above has more on the pupils’ predicaments.

Source: Adomonline.com/Adom News/Kofi Adjei

Some teachers who spoke to Adom News said they were disappointed to see the school children go through the pain of sitting and standing on the floor even though provisions have been made for desks.

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They have attributed the situation to hoarding.

“An Ashfoam Company donated some dual desks to the school but the municipal director of education has given a directive for all the desks to be packed in a new six-unit classroom block which is not in use,” a teacher claimed.

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All efforts to get the Municipal Director of Education to speak on the issue have proved futile because he has refused to answer his calls.

Watch the featured video above for more on this disturbing story.

It follows the appearance of a strange pot filled with blood planted on the school’s compound.

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Parents who are baffled by what could best be described as a charm or Juju have started withdrawing their wards.

The suspect who is believed to be a septuagenarian claims ownership of the school’s land.

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The suspect who gave his name Mr Agbozor is currently in the custody of the Nkurakan police.

He told the police, the school is illegally occupying the land bestowed on him by his grandfather.

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According to him, the policy is the smartest solution to addressing the challenges that come with free secondary education.

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“I see the double tracking system as the most ingenious, sensible way of giving quality education. Those opposing should bring their solutions on board or shut up instead of criticizing” he said on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Monday.

A total of 362,118 first-year students from public Senior High Schools across the country are currently benefiting from the government’s fee-free education policy since its inception.

Of the above figure, 117,692 are day students with 244,426 being boarders.

Based on last year’s enrollment, the government has projected enrollment figures for 2018 to stand at 472,730 against available seats of 290, 737 leaving a gap of 181, 993 to be created in order to accommodate the expected number of enrollment.

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The double tracking system, according to the Ministry of Education will offer students more instructional and contact hours with teachers.

But some institutions including Policy think tank, IMANI Africa, has described as needless government’s decision to introduce the double tracking system.

Professor Adei, however, thinks the proposal is spot on as it will solve the problem of overcrowding in the schools.

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He argues that the system is so good that the government should have come up with the idea instead of allowing overcrowding to mar the first year of the Free SHS implementation.

The Dean of Arts and Sciences at Ashesi University said there is overcrowding in most of the High Schools and the proposed system is a very laudable one which will help to cure the issue.

“When I heard it I was so excited because I went to give a lecture at Wesley Girls SHS in Kumasi and the auditorium was so packed that about 500 students were standing outside. What will happen when more numbers are added,” he lamented.

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“I believe this is doable and it is workable”, Prof Adei told Kojo Yankson on the AM Show on the Joy News TV, Monday.

The system divides the entire student body and staff into two different tracks. So while one track is in school, the other is on vacation.

Prof Adei also argued that the system is so good that the government should have come up with the idea instead of allowing overcrowding to mar the first year of the Free SHS implementation.

In 2017 when the Free SHS was implemented, a lot of headmasters complained to the media although most did so under anonymity that they have been fed with about two times more than the number of students they requested for.

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This put a lot of pressure on the schools with dormitory facilities especially taking the blow.

Prof Adei argues that with the students now being expected to go to school in badges, that pressure is going to reduce and it will breed efficiency since the teacher-to-student ratio will be better than the single track system.

“Some other countries that run the free education system, like Australia, Kenya and Japan run the same double-track system too. Even in USA over 3000 [schools] run the multi-track system,” he said.

Cost

Speaking on the effect of the programme on the taxpayer, Prof Adei noted that the cost of employing more teachers to handle the scheme should be a cause for concern.

“Also because [with] the single track system, the students are all on holidays for a longer period the facilities are less burdened but now while one badge is on holidays the other badge is still using it so there should be increased maintenance,” he added.

Prof Adei, however, added that like every new system the government should “watch and debug it if challenges occur”.

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“Especially in the local language [media] stations,” he admonished.

Headmistress of the Royal International School, Priscilla Manu Gyebi has dismissed sodomy allegations levelled against three pupils of the school.

A class one pupil of the school (name withheld) who is battling for his life at the Tema General Hospital accused three class 5 pupils of sodomy.

But the headmaster of the school believes the victim may have been influenced to frame the suspects up.

READ: Education Ministry to investigate ‘poor’ 2018 WASSCE results for Maths, English

Mrs. Manu Gyebi in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme Tuesday said, she came to that conclusion after she personally interrogated the victim and noticed his account is not consistent.

“Even if it was true, can these children’s penetration cause that damage? I still find it hard to believe that the boy was sodomized. I think he has been told to say that,” she said.

She continued: “After I have personally paid for the medical bill of the boy, the grandma, came to me asking me to help her collect money from people to cover the issue. She blackmailed me.”

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That notwithstanding, the boy (name withheld) who is currently on admission is said to be suffering from an infection as a result of the act.

Distraught grandmother, Theresa Lamptey says though the suspects were identified by the victim, they were released by the Community Eleven Police.

She accused the headmistress of covering up just to protect the image of her school.

“The headmistress is telling lies. I never asked her for money and never blackmailed her and so she should stop that because it’s bad” she cried.

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But Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Benefo Darkwa dismissed claim police have abandoned the case.

According to him, police investigative team is waiting for doctor’s report on the victim.

This means that out of the 315,621 candidates who sat for examinations, 120,519, representing 38.33%, obtained A1 – C6However, the performance of candidates who obtained grades A1-C6 in Mathematics and English Language dropped by 4.4% and 7.27% respectively when compared with the 2017 results. Candidates had to obtain A1-C6 in three core subjects; namely, Mathematics, Integrated Science, and English Language, to be considered for admission into universities in Ghana.

It is important to note that the cut-off point for admission requirements of universities in the country is grade C6.

READ: WAEC releases WASSCE 2018 results, withholds results of 26,434 candidates

A1-C6 in 3 core subjects

Provisional results released by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Ghana reveal the number of candidates who obtained grades A1 to C6 in the three core subjects: English Language – 147,232, representing 46.79%; Mathematics – 120,519, representing 38.33%; and Integrated Science – 158,691, a score of 50.52%.

Failure to obtain A1-C6 in 3 core subjects

The number of candidates who failed to obtain grades A1 to C6 in the three core subjects: Mathematics – 193,882, which represents 61.67%; Integrated Science – 155,436, representing 49.48%; and English Language – 167,404, which also represents 53.21%.

D7-E8 in English, Maths, Science

The provisional results indicate that 99,402 (31%) obtained D7-E8 in the English Language, 94,607 (30.09%) obtained D7-E8 in Mathematics, and 109,069 (34.72%) obtained D7-E8 in Integrated Science.

F9 in English, Maths, Science

According to the results, 68,002, representing 21.61%, had F9 in English Language; 99,275 (31.58%), obtained F9 in Mathematics; and 46,367, representing 14.76%, had F9 in Integrated Science.

Social Studies grades

The grades obtained by candidates in Social Studies were A1 to C6 – 230,141 (73.27%), and D7 to E8 – 46,464 (14.79%) while 37,494 (11.94%) obtained F9.

21.02% improvement for A1-C6 in Social Studies

A statement signed by Mrs. Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC Ghana, said based on the provisional results, the A1-C6 performance in Social Studies showed a 21.02% improvement over that of 2017, with 52.25% to 73.27%.

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6.86% improvement for A1-C6 in Integrated Science

Integrated Science recorded a slight improvement of 6.86%, rising from 43.66% last year to 50.52% in 2018.

4.4% drop in Mathematics for A1-C6

On the contrary, Mathematics recorded a 4.4% drop in performance from 42.73% last year to 38.33% this year.

7.27% drop in English Language for A1-C6

Similarly, there was a 7.27% drop in the performance in English Language from 54.06% last year to 46.79 in 2018.

316,999 Candidates registered for WASSCE

A total of 316,999 candidates entered for the examination, which is 9.6% higher than the 2017 candidature of 289,207.

158,449 Females and 158,550 males

The 2018 entry figure was 158,449 females, representing 49.98%, and 158,550 males, representing 50.02%.

1,378 Registered but did not write WASSCE

The statement said a total of 1,378, signifying 0.43% of the candidates who registered, were absent from the examination.

26,434 Results withheld

It said the entire results of 26,434 candidates have been withheld pending the conclusion of investigations into various cases of examination malpractice detected during and after the conduct of the examination.

The statement said the withheld results would be canceled if the candidates were found culpable, or released if otherwise.

The examination was conducted for 946 participating schools.

It said the council would dispatch the results to the schools, and candidates are advised to contact their heads of school for their results.

Results posted online

The statement said the council had posted the results online and candidates who so desire may access their results at the council’s website.

The statement said the council is alerting members of the public, especially candidates, to be wary of anyone who promises to change examination results for a fee.

It said candidates are to note that all WAEC results are well secured and can be authenticated, and people with forged results would be exposed.

It expressed its deepest appreciation to all stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES), supervisors, invigilators, the Ghana Police Service, examiners and all who in various ways helped in the successful conduct of the examination and the timeous release of results.

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WASSCE grades D7 and E8 under review

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has directed the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) to review its stance on D7 and E8 and submit a report about the possibility of getting students with such grades admitted into universities.

Professor Kwesi Yankah, Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, who disclosed this, bemoaned that many students could not pursue their academic ambitions and had become street hawkers due to the stance on credit passes in Mathematics and Science.

“Take the example of a candidate with D7 or E8 who has not failed in Mathematics and Science anyway seeking to go to the university to do history, or a subject in humanities and social sciences that will need little mathematics,” he said.

“Let us encourage those who are aiming at mathematical sciences or engineering and insist that they get credit passes before they move on. But let us not insist on credit for those whose future studies have very little to do with mathematics,” he added.

He said the government was also reforming the structure and content of the educational system from merely passing an examination to building capacity and nurturing values to raise literates who would be confident to engage citizens and could think critically to solve problems.

“People must be equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes that will enable them to compete with the best in the world. The government believes that all the hopes of Ghanaians for a brighter future will not be successful unless the country is able to resolve its education crisis,” he stated. in all the three core subjects.

The performance of candidates who obtained grades A1-C6 in Integrated Science and Social Studies recorded 6.86 and 21.02 improvements respectively, compared to 2017.

The visit comes days after photo went viral on social media of a 3-year-old girl of the school, who dressed like the undercover journalist during the school’s recent Career Day.

Anas and his Tiger Eye team were in the school to interact with pupils, particularly those who aspired to become journalists, as well as their teachers.

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Filled with emotions, Anas brought himself to the little girl’s height and embraced her.

The pupils took their turns to ask him questions about how he does his work and why he decided to do it the way he is doing it.

He took his time to respond to all the questions.

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He told the children he had had to cover his face “in order to stop the bad guys” from looking for him.

Mother of the 3-year-old girl, Afua Amponsah explained, she dressed her child to look like the journalist in order “to show support to Anas that he is doing a good job”.

Meanwhile, authorities of Holy Trinity Lutheran School are full of praise for Anas for taking time to visit the school.

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Manager, Henrietta Karikari, who is happy at the contribution of Anas to the nation’s development, says it is the aim of the school to provide Christ-centered training to their pupils.

“We say a very big thank you to Anas and his team for making the effort to visit us. We really appreciate what you are doing for Ghana,” Karikari added.

Reports say the students started complaining of severe tummy upsets after they ate ‘waakye’, a popular meal prepared with rice and beans.

The incident happened on Monday after the students took the food prepared from the school’s kitchen, JoyNews has learnt.

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Although school authorities are yet to officially speak to the issue, a source close to the school has told JoyNews that scores of students complained of diarrhoea after consuming the food.

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The affected students were rushed to the Regional Hospital at Koforidua, where they are receiving treatment, the source added.