Saltpond — An Appeal Court Judge, Her Ladyship Mrs. Justice Irene Charity Larbi has called on the state to deal with teachers, especially male teachers who get into amorous or improper relationship with students since such behaviour is criminal and has the tendency of destroying the future of the girl-child.
"They are entrusted to your care by their parents with the understanding that you will provide academic and moral guidance. It is most unethical, not to mention criminal for this duty of care to be compromised by amorous relationships," she stated.
The call comes in the wake of recent complaints by some students in some senior high schools within the country regarding certain amorous or sexual demands by some male teachers.
Mrs. Justice Larbi said this at the 58th speech and prize-giving day of Mfantseman Girls Senior High School held at the institution's premises at Saltpond in the Mfantseman municipality of the Central Region.
The event which was on the theme: 'Free Senior High School (SHS): The role of the parent and other stakeholders' was supported by the 1987 and 1993 year groups of the school.
Mrs. Justice Larbi urged heads of educational institutions to closely monitor and bring errand teachers to book, saying, "We cannot have the innocence of our young ones so callously and casually destroyed.
She admonished teachers to increase the level of commitment to their duties and the courses they provide instructions while urging headmasters and headmistresses to ensure the running of an effective and smooth administration.
On the implementation of the free SHS policy, she called on government to provide a comprehensive policy document detailing among other things, the form and structure of the new dispensation and the roles of the various stakeholders.
In an address, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah admonished parents not to shirk their responsibility regarding the education of their wards due to the implementation of the free SHS policy.
She said: "Parents would continue to be primary educators of their children beyond the classroom and therefore a positive attitude to school and teachers is necessary to building a positive attitude of the child towards school."
A positive parental attitude, she, noted, would encourage children to be positive minded about school no matter the challenges, saying, "At all times, except at the peril of life, education should be a priority for parents. Education should take the centre stage above all other activity."
The headmistress of Mfantseman Girls SHS, Mrs. Leticia Hawkson, in an address, appealed for support for the completion of an 18-unit classroom block which had stagnated for more than 10 years as well as a two-storey uncompleted 250 student capacity dormitory block to help reduce congestion in the classrooms and dormitories.
She made a request for the provision of a 12-unit staff bungalow to accommodate majority of the staff who currently stay outside the school compound for efficient supervision of teaching and learning.
Additionally, she appealed for the provision of a school bus as well as the construction of a 24-seater toilet facility since the existing facility was woefully inadequate due to the increasing number of students.
The Minister of Communications, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who was the chairperson for the occasion, explained that parents and other stakeholders had a role to play in the success of the Free SHS initiative by government.
She encouraged the students to ask questions, be inquisitive and curious and think outside the box, saying, "Seek your teachers or school counselor's help if you need to clarify issues or need to know where to get assistance and seek guidance from your parents if you are at a crossroad, they may have trod that path before."
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS