Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey has clarified that Okuapeman Senior High School (SHS) and Mount Sinai Senior High School (SHS) have not been shut down following violent clashes between students of the two institutions.
According to her, authorities only directed students to leave the campuses earlier than originally scheduled as a precautionary measure to prevent further clashes.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Madam Awatey explained that an official closure of the schools would require a directive from the Minister of Education.
“The school has not been closed now. School is just on break. Nobody has closed down the school,” she said.
Mount Sinai SHS was originally scheduled to vacate on Thursday, September 3, but students were directed to leave a day earlier following the violence.
Okuapeman SHS, which was expected to close for the break on Friday, September 4, will instead release its students on Thursday.
Madam Awatey said the staggered departure schedules were deliberately arranged to prevent students from the two schools from converging in town and potentially reigniting the conflict.
The decision follows violent confrontations between students of the two schools in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2.
The clashes reportedly left six Okuapeman SHS students injured and resulted in significant damage to school property, including classrooms, offices and a Visual Arts studio.
The circumstances that triggered the initial confrontation remain unclear, with investigations by the security agencies ongoing.
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