Ms. Monica Ankrah, Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, has asked the newly inaugurated Governing Board of Kaneshie Senior High Technical School (KATECO) to work closely with management to ensure discipline in the school.
This, she said, will create a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning, improve academic performance of students, and contribute to churning out good citizens for societal and national development.
She said this amid recent cases of indiscipline, including student unrest in some senior high schools across the country – noting that such situations have the tendency of impeding academic performance of students, progress of schools and societies.
“Indiscipline among staff, student unrests and students’ unwillingness to sit down and study in our schools have reached levels which are not only disturbing but also threaten the very existence of society.”
These days, students wait until final examination before they try to be serious with their books. When this fails, then they have no option than resorting to examination malpractices,” Ms. Ankrah said, and urged students to desist from such acts.
The Director told the Board that: “As Board members, it is binding on you to help the school authorities maintain a high level of discipline at all times to promote effective teaching and learning, which obviously will improve and maintain good WASSCE results for the school”.
She also urged the headmistress to always consult the Board on all major issues to avoid the ‘we were not consulted syndrome’, which she said creates suspicion between the Board and administration.
Similarly, the outgoing Board Chair of the school, Apostle Kotei-Afutu, bemoaned the rate of indiscipline among students and recounted times when some old students had to chase students out of ‘Zorzor’ – a popular hide-out for KATECO students.
“There are still some areas where the new Board must intensify efforts at improvement; the first is discipline. Lack of parental control and excessive interference by the community make disciplining recalcitrant students quite difficult.”
He therefore urged the Board to strengthen the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) to assist in solving the problems of truancy, absenteeism, lateness and vandalism.
He also encouraged the Board to work with all stakeholders to ensure completion of an ongoing 18-unit classroom project to accommodate the growing student population and make teaching and learning more effective.
Mr. Robert Nii-Adu Arday, a member of the 13-member Governing Board, expressed appreciation for their selection to hold the position for the next three years, and pledged their commitment to living up to their responsibility.
The Board members include Ms. Ankrah, Regional Director; Mrs. Pearl Bruce, KATECO Headmistress; Mad. Magaret Korri, Director-General’s representative; and Mrs. Monica Ansaba Kumahor, Municipal Education Director.
The others are Mr. Kweku Sersah-Johnson and Mr. Arday, both old students’ reps; Mad. Doris Okine Adade, teaching staff rep; Mr. Victor Kudzo Bondorn, non-teaching staff rep; and Mr. Jonathan Nii Quaye, Traditional rep.
The rest are Mr. Charles Opoku and Ellen Nelle Quaye, both reps from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA); with Mrs. Judith Amoateng Ennin, a non-elected member, as Secretary to the Board.
