School heads pleads for security

19-09-08
Page 11


AUTHORITIES of schools that have been invaded by drug peddlers and thieves have called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, provide security for their schools, since they are losing vital educational materials.
They said as a temporary measure, security personnel should be deployed to such schools to protect school property and ward off the miscreants.
The Apenkwa cluster of schools, for instance, has been one of the worst affected. Thieves have made away with a printing machine valued at GH¢2,200, plastic cups and plates, fluorescent tubes, ceiling fans among other educational materials, according to the teachers.
Some of the heads told the Daily Graphic during a tour of their premises last Tuesday that there was an urgent need for security in the schools.
At the Apenkwa Presbyterian Primary School, it was realised that apart from the stolen fluorescent tubes in the classrooms and on corridors, the main electric wire that connected the school to the national grid had also been stolen.
The motive, apparently, is to enable the anti-social elements to carry out their nefarious activities under the cover of darkness.
It was also noticed that wire mesh used to seal the top of the office of the head teacher was also cut to ensure easy access to the office.
When the Daily Graphic got to the school, Mrs Victoria Akrong, who was registering fresh pupils, had a large box containing the educational materials of the school by her.
"You see I had to get this box to be keeping our materials in, since my office was not safe. After school I lock it and take it somewhere for safe keeping," she said.
During the vacation, she said, on a surprise visit to the school, she saw two wounded thieves taking cover in one of the classrooms after breaking the lock to the room.
Mrs Victoria Akrong said she had to call some young men in the area to get the thieves out after head teacher of the Shiayennoh Primary '2' and '3', Mrs Mercy Agbenorwuu, said a printing machine worth GH¢2,200 that was brought to the school was stolen within a week.
The Apenkwa Circuit Supervisor, Mrs Felicia Dadza, deplored the current problem being faced by the schools, adding that there was the need for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to reintroduce the watchmen that were withdrawn from the schools.
The Director of Works Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Carl Henry Clark, said the Assembly was taking steps to address the problems being faced by schools in the metropolis.
He said apart from rehabilitating the schools with the support of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the assembly had begun fencing the schools.
He said as a result of the lack of enough resources, the assembly had to prioritise, and gave the assurance that the schools would be protected.
Mr Clark urged members of the community to help protect schools that were being used for anti-social activities, since such activities went a long way to affect academic work.