Tema Manhean, Jan. 11, GNA - Opinion leaders of Tema Manhean, parents, staff, students and school authorities of Tema Manhean Secondary Technical School have expressed surprise about the dropping of the school for upgrading in favour of a well endowed school in the Tema municipality.

They said in 2005 the school, a deprived one, was selected to be upgraded into a model school but to their dismay the offer rather went to Tema Secondary School.

In a petition signed by Mr Samuel F. Dogbe, Secretary of the Parent/Teacher Association, the aggrieved persons said the school satisfied all the criteria for selection for upgrading. They said no official explanation has been assigned for the change "except for a confirmation by an official of the Projects Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports that Tema Secondary School has been listed among the second batch of 25 schools to be upgraded nationwide in the African Development Bank sponsored Schools Development Project".

They said neither the Tema Municipal Director of Education nor the Tema Municipal Education Oversight Committee could offer any reason for the change.

They deplored the discrimination and said Manhean Secondary Technical rather needs a facelift and not the already richly endowed school that by all standards does not qualify to be counted among deprived schools in the country.

"The situation can be likened to giving medicine intended for a sick patient to a very healthy person who has no need for medication". They said this unfair treatment has the tendency to demoralize the teachers and staff and that if the model school concept was to help less endowed second cycle schools then the promise must be fulfilled. The Headmaster, Mr Joseph Amuah told the GNA in an interview that the school was established in 1991 and has a student population of 381. He said the school's only one-storey classroom block has deep cracks in the walls, especially the staircase, and the teaching staff has threatened to abandon it if no urgent repair works are carried out to make it safe.

"Officials from the Tema Municipal Assembly have inspected the building seven times but nothing has been done."

He said being a fishing community, the school plans to run a marine academy to enable the students learn simple works on outboard motors and other canoes but this cannot materialize in this present state. The headmaster said the school offers auto mechanics, metal works, building construction, visual arts, home economics, agriculture and the core subjects.