The protesting students with their placards
STUDENTS of Oppon Memorial Senior High School (OMESS) at Kokofu in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region yesterday held a peaceful demonstration over the transfer of the headmaster, Christian Addai-Poku.
The agitated students requested the regional directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reverse the decision as they poured on the streets holding placards waving and chanting slogans against the move.
The students, who walked some kilometres in the Kokofu town before presenting a petition to the paramount chief, said they would boycott studies until Mr Addai-Poku’s transfer was revoked.
Addai-Poku, former President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), was said to have been moved to another school barely six months after assuming duty at OMESS.
According to the student body led Panford Doris Afriyie, the transfer of the headmaster has led to confusion, bad blood and tension in the school with agitations from various quarters against the move.
She stated that the students could not afford to let go Mr Addai-Poku as they had observed, under his leadership and guidance, tremendous improvement in the school.
“Within six months, he has provided biogas and siren for the school; he has brought discipline and water closet toilet facility. Besides, he has the intention of opening up the dining hall and making sure we have a bus,” senior school prefect, Hosea Amankwah, said.
He revealed that academic work of the school had also seen improvement under the watch of the outgoing headmaster. As a result, the school was able to take the second spot in the science quiz for the first time in the history of OMESS.
Amankwa said they would resist the transfer of Mr Christian Addai-Poku. And he wanted authorities to reconsider the decision because they would suffer its consequences.
“We understand that our headmaster went to report to his new station. We have been waiting for the GES officers to address this issue,” said the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President, Ms Panford Doris Afriyie.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi