District Chief Executive Sandra Seyram Kpedor receiving the petition
Hundreds of concerned teachers and parents in the Anloga Municipal District of the Volta Region have petitioned President John Mahama, demanding urgent intervention over alleged administrative malpractice, bullying and mismanagement in basic schools across the district.
The aggrieved group, clad in red and black attire, also staged a demonstration, marching through the principal streets of Anloga and calling for the immediate removal of the District Director of Education, Mr. Dominic Yao Dzanado.
The petition, signed by more than 10 teachers and parents, and presented during the protest, accuses the Education Director of violating established educational procedures and the Teachers’ Code of Conduct (Revised June 2017). According to the petitioners, the alleged actions have undermined teaching standards, negatively affected learner performance and weakened staff morale, with potentially long-term consequences for the quality of basic education in the municipality.
Central to the concerns raised is the alleged unilateral assumption of responsibility by the Director for setting end-of-term examinations, a professional duty traditionally reserved for classroom teachers. The group contends that this move has sidelined teachers from their statutory responsibilities and disrupted the alignment between classroom instruction and assessment content.
The petition further alleges irregularities in the management of examination charges and quota allocations. Sums reportedly ranging from GH¢9,000 to GH¢16,000 per term per school were allegedly realised at various periods for the Director and contracted examination service providers. The petitioners claim these financial arrangements prioritised personal or financial interests over the academic welfare of learners.
In addition, the demonstrators accused the Director of engaging external service providers to set what they described as non-standard examination questions. They argue that this practice has contributed to persistent poor academic performance across the district, alleging that about 97 per cent of learners have failed terminal examinations over the past nine to ten years.
According to the petition, high-performing pupils have seen their results reduced to average levels due to what the group describes as misalignment between teaching and externally prepared examination content. The petitioners also claim that learners who are unable to pay full examination fees have, in some instances, been prevented from sitting terminal examinations, resulting in emotional distress.
The group further alleged intimidation of headteachers and teachers who question the examination arrangements, including punitive transfers and salary embargoes. They cited selective and allegedly unlawful staff transfers which have left some schools severely understaffed, with between five and eleven teachers handling all grade levels. In some cases, they claim, headteachers have resorted to employing senior high school leavers to fill teaching gaps, with parents contributing towards their allowances.
During a teachers’ durbar, the Directorate reportedly justified its actions by stating that some teachers failed to apply Bloom’s Taxonomy when setting examination questions, and asserted its authority to set examinations, likening the practice to that of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). However, the petitioners countered that concerns about examination standards could be addressed through professional development workshops and strengthened Professional Learning Communities rather than removing teachers from the assessment process.
The petitioners are demanding an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into the Director’s conduct, accountability where wrongdoing is established, protection for whistleblowers and strict enforcement of the Teachers’ Code of Conduct.
Copies of the petition have been forwarded to the Minister for Education, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service and teacher unions, including Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT- GH). They expressed confidence that President Mahama’s office will act decisively to restore transparency, fairness and accountability in the Anloga education system. Meanwhile, Mr. Dzanado has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
FROM Daniel K. Orlando, Ho