About 715 final year students of Sandema Senior High School (SHS) in the Builsa North district in the Upper East Region have been suspended indefinitely.
The decision follows students protesting the suspension of their colleagues for bullying a first year student which caused him to collapse.
The Builsa North district security committee in collaboration with the District Education Directorate indefinitely suspended all the final year students for protesting against school authorities, for punishing their colleagues after the incident.
But the final year students, in a letter through the Students’ Representative Council to the school authorities, protested the indefinite suspension and refused to take their breakfast and also boycotted their final mock examination.
The Builsa North District director of Education Mr. Clement Abakisi told Citi News they had no option but to suspend the final year students until further notice .
“I think the decision taken is justifiable. In a school where there is no discipline, learning cannot take place so we have taken this decision so that students will go home and think about their act and we will call them back at the appropriate time.”
“We wouldn’t allow them to stay because we don’t know what may happen later since they are angry. They have refused to eat the breakfast and lunch and also boycotted their second but last mock examination.”
“The issue is nine final year students’ bullied a first year student resulting in his collapse so the matter was dragged to the disciplinary committee of the school and the appropriate sanctions were given to the perpetrators only for the rest of the final year students’ argue that the punishment was harsh hence their riot”, Mr. Abakisi stated.
The District Chief Executive for Builsa North who is also the Chairman of the District security committee, Bonaventure Adangabey assured the students that their concerns will be addressed but gave them a two hour ultimatum to leave the school premises.
Some of the suspended students told Citi News off record that they may have to sleep with their friends in Sandema for a while because they don’t have money to go home.
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By: Fred Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana