The Nketepa D/A Primary School in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern region faces closure following the mass transfer of teachers without replacement.
Ten (10 ) trained teachers – six from the primary and 4 from Junior High School – were transferred during last vacation but have since not been replaced.
The situation has led to many school dropouts while few parents who can afford private school tuition fees have withdrawn their wards for enrollment in private schools while others use their wards for fishing and farming in the community.
Nketepa D/A School was one of the most populated public basic schools in the district with population of over 400 pupils however the Population of the school has dropped to about 200 due to absent of teachers for a long period.
The Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association(PTA) ,Yaw Bossu, said several letters written to the District Chief Executive and the District Education Directorate about the situation have not yielded positive results.
“When they reopened school we were expecting teachers to come to school but they were not coming so we followed up to the Education office it was there that they told us that the teachers have been transferred. So we asked them of any replacement but they said no replacement. So six teachers from Primary department and four teachers from JHS department transferred ”
According to the PTA Chairman, he together with the Assembly Member for the area have taken it upon themselves to support in teaching the primary school pupils.
“So as it stands now, myself and the assembly member have volunteered to teach the children. Now the children are not coming to school and our fear is the KG1 and KG2 “.
He added “Parents are removing their wards to private school. So our fear is that if we don’t take time the Primary school will be closed down. Next week they will be starting exams what at all are they going to write because the whole of this term they have not been taught anything”.
Nketepa is predominantly a fishing community.
Source:Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5fm/Kojo Ansah
