Some of the Tempane SHS Students
The Suspended headmaster of the Tempane Senior High School in the Upper East Region, Ndegu Amolale, has been reinstated by the Ghana Education Service.
His reinstatement comes not long after his students declared a hunger strike in protest his prolonged suspension, that led to a temporary shutdown of the school.
Mr. Amolale was suspended by the Ghana Education Service (GES) for permitting politics in the school by allowing the National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Akamba, who was then aspiring for the position, to incite students against the government’s Free Senior High School policy.
But he has now been found innocent by an investigative committee that looked into the matter.
“A committee was set up and the committee came out that he had no hand it. He wasn’t around,” the Tempane District Chief Executive, Paul Abugre said to Citi News.
“I got the confirmation [of his reinstatement] from the Regional Director of Education this morning. He will be at work and will start work as normal. That is it,”
Mr. Akamba was seen to be urging students to hoot at the President because of the infestation of bedbugs in their dormitories.
Akamba attributed the bedbug problem to congestion occasioned by the free SHS programme.
Following the suspension of the headteacher, some students went on a hunger strike to protest the suspension.
Fearing any escalation, the DCE of the Tempane District directed students to leave the school’s premises.
Students only returned to school on Monday, December 17.
The DCE further said he understood why some students were upset with the suspension.
“I know how it is and how painful it is when somebody misbehaves or does something and you are sitting there, but because you are the boss; because of this issue of ultimate responsibility, you are held liable, that was what [protesting students] were not comfortable with.”
The DCE added that a committee has also been constituted to investigate actions of the third year students which led to the closure of the school on Tuesday 11th December, and to determine when they will resume school.
Criticism of suspension
Former President John Mahama was among the persons who spoke out against the suspension.
“Who went into schools more than somebody? We were in government, and there was somebody he was always in the schools and playing politics and yet we never sacked any headmaster, we never sacked any teacher because you have gone into a school.
“Then one of our aspirants for a certain position goes to a school, and the students show him how bedbugs have chewed them and had discourse with them. Then you suspend the headmaster, and you say he should handover, and you are investigating him. Investigating him for what?”
The Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe also called for the headteacher to be reinstated.
The MP said such actions bred a culture of silence among headteachers, making them afraid to speak out about the challenges facing their various schools.
IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe, also described the suspension as the “highest form of intolerance.”
“I’ve seen many videos, many images and they all do it…Don’t you give them free food, free everything and you turn around and tell them that I have given you people free SHS so tell your parents to vote for me? They still do it. So what is the point in suspending the headmaster?”
-Citifmonline