Absentee teachers to lose salary

Goaso (B/A), May 24, GNA- Teachers in Asunafo district of Brong Ahafo who absent themselves from classes without permission would lose their salaries for the period of absence.

In addition traditional authorities in the district would institute stringent measures to curtail the current spate of behaviour among school children in the area.

These were part of resolutions adopted at separate school performance appraisal meetings held between officials of the Asunafo District Education Directorate and stakeholders in education in six educational circuits in the district.

The aim was to identify possible factors responsible for poor performance of basic schools at the 2003 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The participants agreed that the blame for the district's abysmal records over the past three years should not be at the doorsteps of any single stakeholder, stressing that none of the interest groups could be judged to have performed creditably.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Jones Samuel Tawiah, Co-ordinator of the meetings and an Assistant Director in-charge of supervision at the directorate, said the office would adopt measures including surprise-monitoring visits to schools to help stem absenteeism and other unacceptable behaviours of teachers and school children. He announced that special committees had also been set up to handle some of the basic problems affecting schools in the communities in order to stop pushing problems on to the Ghana Education Service. 24 May 04