GES interdicts KNUST SHS headmistress over death of student

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked Headmistress of the KNUST Senior High School to step aside for a probe into the death of a student.

Madam Felicia Asamoah Dankwaa has been directed to hand over management of the school to the Regional Director of Education of the Ashanti Region.

This is to allow “management of the GES to investigate the circumstances leading to the demise of a final year student on Tuesday, July 7”.

This was contained in a release by the GES signed by its Head of Public Relations, Ms Cassandra Twum Amopofo on Wednesday, July 8.

However, National President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Eric Angel Carbonu, has kicked against the interdiction.

“Why interdict the headmistress?” he questioned in an interview with Asempa on Wednesday.

In his opinion, “it is not the responsibility of the head of the school to provide an infirmary. She does not have the capacity”.

He indicated that schools had been mapped to health facilities before reopening, as he suggested that the health authorities are also to blame for the absence of medics at the school premises.

Students at the school embarked on protests on Tuesday night after news started circulating that their colleague, a business student, had died.

Authorities took the step after students went on a rampage destroying properties of the school.

It was in reaction to the death of their mate after teachers, who were present when the student was complaining, stayed away from him over fears that it could be a case of COVID-19.

According to the students who spoke to reporters, their mate suffers from a stomach ulcer, which was known to school authorities.

The boy was seen in viral videos holding on to his colleagues as he wailed in pain for several hours.

Some students called his parents, who rushed to the school and transported him to a health facility.

According to the students, if the authorities of the school had been proactive, their colleague would have been alive.

The students refused to go to class and declined to have their breakfast on Wednesday morning.

Some of the students have been clamouring for the shutdown of the school.

Meanwhile, Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, (DCOP) Mr.David Agyemang Adjem, has said that tensions have diffused and police presence would be reduced.

Scores of parents stormed the school to find out the state of the wards after learning of the death and riots.