The Volta Regional Branch of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has called on the government to ensure the safety and well-being of teachers in schools across the country.
The call from NAGRAT is necessitated by a recent attack on a teacher of the Three Town Senior High School in Denu, in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region by a student on Wednesday, 11 August 2021.
The victim, Mr John Akey Kwashie sustained deep cuts on his upper arm when he attempted to prevent a final year Visual Arts student, Gilbert Akakpo from bullying some first-year students of the school.
The attacker who used a cutter to inflict the wounds on the teacher fled the scene immediately but was handed over to the police by his own parents.
The student attacker was subsequently arraigned before the court but was granted bail to re-appear on a later date.
But addressing delegates at this year’s Volta Regional Quadrennial Conference of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), held in Ho on Thursday, President of the Association, Mr David Gellie noted that attacks on teachers in the country is becoming too many and reminded the government of the responsibility to protect its employees from such attacks.
He said, “in recent times, there are several attacks on teachers; some in Accra, some Ashanti region, Eastern region and just recently, in the Volta region. We want to state that the safety of the teacher is the duty of the employer who is the government and so, the government should do everything they can to protect the welfare of the teacher.”
Mr Gellie further indicated the Association’s support for teachers at the Three Town Senior High School and their decisions in relation to the incident until the culprits are punished.
“We are standing by the decision of our colleagues at Three Town – they are not going to invigilate the WASCE this year, they will not go and teach until all the culprits, all the people involved in attacking the teacher are brought to book and justice for the teacher involved.”
The Regional President further debunked claims that the attack on Mr Kwashie was carried out by just one student. He alleged that another student per a briefing he had from teachers in the school, was also involved in assaulting the victim during the incident.
Meanwhile, the Ketu South Municipal Education Oversight Committee led by the Municipal Chief Executive, Elliot Edem Agbenorwu has set up a committee to investigate the incident and other issues of indiscipline in the school and come up with recommendations to avert any such occurrence in the future.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/103.5fm/Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu
