The Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association of Pentecost Senior High School in Koforidua, one of two schools which had their Headmasters demoted for charging unapproved fees, has defended the embattled headmaster and the collection of the fees by the school.
Nicholas Kofi Mensah says the fee, an amount of forty(40) cedis was approved by the Ghana Education Service as development levy in January 2017. He added following the implementation of the governments free SHS policy, a meeting was held with GES authorities and the school was told it can go ahead to charge the levy, meant for the building of teachers bungalows.
Speaking in an interview on an Accra based radio station, Mr Mensah wondered why the same GES will turn around to accuse the headmaster of the school, Wisdom Blazu of taking a bribe of 40 cedis from the students when this is false. According to the PTA Chairman, the school authorities even invited the GCB Bank to the campus to collect the fees to ensure transparency.
The Ghana Education Service on 14th Sept demoted Wisdom Blazu of the Pentecost SHS in the Eastern region and Assistant head of Daffour SHS, Rev. S.P Eleworkor, for charging illegal fees contrary to directives under the free SHS policy.
Read also: Free SHS: 2 SHS headmasters sacked, 9 others interdicted
Mr Mensah contends the headmaster did no wrong and only went ahead to charge the fees following approval by the GES in the meeting. He wants further investigations, which he believes will exonerate Wisdom Blazu conducted into the matter.
Meanwhile, Vice President of The National Association of Graduate Teachers, NAGRAT, Angel Kabonu has described the decision as dictatorial, arguing that the basis on which the various heads were sanctioned is incomprehensible.
He argued that per the rules of natural justice, the union representation of the interdicted headmasters ought to have been in the meeting that indicted them. He added that the headteachers should have also been given the opportunity to explain their actions.
Read also: NAGRAT calls sacking of SHS headmasters dictatorial
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