Argument over school reforms end in boxing

What looked like a friendly exchange of words between two students of Kpetoe Roman Catholic Junior secondary School (JSS) in the Ho district, Volta Region, turned into a brawl following a misunderstanding.

And the whole episode ended in a ‘boxing arena’, which was created by three tutors of the school to settle the scores.

The result was that, the strongest of the two battered the weaker one until he had a swollen face and black eye, and was unable to walk. Sensing danger the tutor’s intervened to save the life of the battered youngster.

The misunderstanding between the two students, Master Gustav Teh and Master Attigah Slater, both J.S.S. two students, centred on whether there was the need for the government to revert the current Educational Reform Programme to the old system or to review the programme completely.

Teh’s argument was that the programme should revert to the old system because students were being made to study many subjects within a period of three years. Some of the subjects, he argued, were without adequate textbooks.

Slater’s view was that the reforms were necessary because they would enable students to acquire professional skills, thereby contributing meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the nation. He argued that the reforms were taking place within the West African Sub-region and that Ghana was no exception.

The, realizing that his argument was untenable and had incurred the displeasure of his colleagues, pounced on him. Attempts by their colleagues to separate them failed since the to insisted on fighting.

The behaviour of the two students did not go down well with two others - Masters John Kwaku Azaglo and Samuel Owusu - who reported their conduct to three teachers who were then on the compound.

But to their amazement, the teachers, Messrs Kofi Brempong, E. Aseihyie and Peter Kudjo, created a ‘boxing arena’ for the two combatants to settle their scores.

Teh and Slatter took advantage of the teacher’s decision and exhibited their strength and fought until Slater had a swollen face and black eyes. He was unable to stand on his feet; it was at this point that the teachers stopped the fight.

Dissatisfied with what happened, Asaglo, Owusu and some students went to the offices of “The spectator” to express their disgust at the attitude of the teachers.

The students said when they enquired why the teachers should allow the students to continue to fight instead of taking disciplinary action against them, the teachers claimed that their conduct was based on the Ghana Education Service (GES) regulations. The teachers reportedly claimed that when they tried to stop the fighting, the students insisted that they should be allowed to fight until a winner emerged.

When asked whether they had reported the conduct of the teachers to the head of the school, Azaglo and Owusu claimed that they were not given the opportunity to explain themselves since discipline had broken down in the school.

When contacted, officials of the Ho district of the (GES), expressed shock and dismay at the behaviour of the teachers, saying that their claim were unfounded and could not be found in any GES Service regulations.

Mr S.K. Amedjor, Head of Finance and Administration, at the GES office said that the conduct of the teachers was an act of indiscipline and that the Service was yet to receive a formal report on the matter.

He indicated that a full scale investigation, would be conducted, and the teachers would be brought to book if any adverse findings were found against them. It is against GES regulations for pupils and students to fight let alone be encouraged by teachers.

Mr Amedjor said that boxing had not been included in school sporting activities because of the danger it posed to students. He wondered why the students refused to inform the headteacher or his assistant and their parents so that immediate action could be taken against them.

A cross-section of parents interviewed in Ho by ‘The Spectator’ condemned the conduct of the teachers and called for their outright dismissal from the Service.