Some students of Sandema Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper East Region have burnt parts of their dormitory to protest the seizure of their mobile phones.
The second-year students protested against the head of the school’s cadet corps for seizing their mobile phones on campus.
They reportedly set the cadet room ablaze in the heat of the violent protest.
The fire got out of control and spread to one of the school’s dormitory buildings before personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Upper East Regional Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary School (CHASS), Richard Akumbasi, said such incidents are becoming rampant in the area.
He said a similar incident happened at Kusanaba Senior High School a few days ago when the students and the school’s management clashed over a possible examination venue.
“It’s sad that each day we have to discuss the violence at the various schools. Indiscipline is a matter of concern, and I think parents and stakeholders involved ought to find a solution to this. What was it about with these students in Sandema Senior High School, just a seizure of a mobile phone?
“And the students think that burning school property was the way to go. Then, we are really in trouble as a society,” he noted.
Mr Akumbasi said the Ghana Education Service(GES) would set up a committee to investigate the matter.
“Currently, the caretaker director of GES will hold a committee meeting to see the way forward.
“But for me, these students should be tasked to pay damage fees,” he suggested.
It will be recalled that a similar riot occurred in the school in July 2019, leading to the death of a male student.
Violence erupted between the cadet corps and some of the students when the cadet tried to enforce some rules and regulations of the school.
They burnt down and destroyed motorbikes belonging to some teachers and smashed the windscreen of a nearby vehicle.
The school was subsequently shut down for two weeks by the Builsa North District Security Committee.
Pls government should help to raise the school again. Majority of the population of the school is from poor background, we cannot pay for the cost please , that is my opinion
Pls government should help to raise the school again. Majority of the population of the school is from poor background, we cannot pay for the cost please , that is my opinion