Committee suggests insurance policy for students

Page 11
10-10-08

THE Committee of Enquiry set up by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MoESS) to investigate the tragic death of Master Gafaru Abdul Rahman of the Adisadel College in Cape Coast has recommended the introduction of an insurance policy for students at all levels of education in the country.
That, it said, was as result of the exposure of students to all manner of risks as they went about their school life.
This was contained in the report of the committee submitted to the sector minister, Prof. Dominic Fobih.
Although the ministry agreed in its response that there was the need for an insurance cover for students at all levels of education, it said the cost and mode of implementation needed to be discussed by all stakeholders.
“The ministry agrees in principle that there is the need for insurance cover for students at all levels of education. However, there are issues such as cost and mode of implementation that need to be discussed by all stakeholders to inform the appropriate policy design,” a report signed by the Chief Director of the MoESS, Mr Ato Essuman, said.
The committee was chaired by the Managing Director of the Ghana Posts, Mr Kofi Dua Adonteng. Other members were the Omanhene of Mamfe Akuapem, Osabarima Nana Ansah Sasraku III; the former head and representative of the Conference of Managers of Education Units (COMEU), Very Rev Dr Richard Foli, and the General Manager of Islamic Schools, Alhaji Arimeyao Shaibu.
Concerning whether the tragic death of Master Gafaru was as a result of religious coercion, the committee concluded that “the incident had nothing to do with religion” and that “the students found in the block “were not exclusively Muslims”.
On whether the Senior Housemaster was the cause of the death of the student, the committee, among other things, found that the Senior Housemaster was not even personally present at the top level of the building where the deceased was last seen alive.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports in its report said it would ensure that the schools’ Code of Discipline and the Unified Code of Conduct of the Ghana Education Service (GES) were harmonised to ensure a uniform code of conduct for schools in the country.
It said in as much as the ministry respected the rights and freedoms of individuals, it could not permit indiscipline in schools across the country.
The report further noted that the ministry would uphold the rights of the individual as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
“The foundation for a disciplined workforce is built in schools and, therefore, schools must be encouraged to ensure discipline. The ministry and its agencies will not attempt in any way to undermine the effort of any school authority to ensure discipline,” it said.
In order to preserve the time-tested practices and traditions that served as effective modes of character training and moulding of students, the Sunday morning services and other routine activities of schools would be maintained, the report stated.
The ministry reiterated its deepest regret for the unfortunate incident that resulted in the untimely death of master Gafaru, and that “in view of the findings of the Committee of Enquiry, the ministry wishes to appeal to all Ghanaians, particularly the bereaved family and the Muslim community to accept the loss of master Gafaru as a tragic accident”.