Arrest students who assault teachers during WASSCE – GNAT

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) following misconduct of some students in the ongoing WASSCE has called on authorities to arrest the perpetrators of the violence against its members supervising the exams.

The President of the Association, Philipa Larson said threats of assault on teachers over the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) is worrying and must be nipped in the bud.

According to the candidates, their action towards the management of schools and Invigilators is because of their strict supervision and wide gap of social distancing sitting in the examination hall making them uncomfortable to write their final test.

Some students of the Bright Senior High School at Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region on Thursday attacked officials of the non-profit-making organization responsible for the conduct of the ongoing examination.

A journalist with the Daily Graphic in the Region who had gone to the school to report has also been assaulted by the students leaving him with severe injuries.

Final year students of the Kumawu-based Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School in Greater Kumasi on August 3 after writing the theory aspect of the Integrated Science protested against their headmaster which resulted in the mass destruction of property.

Some students in a viral video claimed none of what they studied in the past questions procured by the Akufo-Addo government was featured in the examination questions, contributing to the rationale behind the vandalism recorded in schools in parts of the country.

But the GNAT President speaking on PM Express described that rate of reports as unprecedented adding that “the fact that the government has provided you with past questions doesn’t mean they will come and answer the questions for you.” On the threats of attacks, Philipa Larson said it was criminal and called on the Ghana Education Service the police to arrest perpetrators.

“I would want the GES and other security agencies to come in and arrest people they have to arrest because the threat is also criminal. We will not sit down for our member to be threatened,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) in a statement copied to GeorgeWeb has directed school authorities to deboardenise any student established to have been involved in any of the acts of vandalism during the period.

The Director-General of the Service, Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa in the statement said any destruction of school property should be surcharged against students found guilty of the riot adding that criminal acts committed should be reported to the police for investigation.