Children abandon school for funeral ceremonies

Assin (Central Region) - Greater number of school children in some primary and Junior Secondary Schools in the Assin District in the Central Region either do not attend school or leave before closing anytime there was a funeral ceremony in the surrounding villages.

This practice, according to Ebenezer Quao, a teacher of the District Council (D/C) Junior Secondary School in Assin Brofoyedur has been the phenomenon for years. He told the GNA on Saturday that this has affected the children's academic performances and has also compelled some school authorities to end class hours before 1200 noon every Friday (a day often set aside for funerals) to enable the children to attend the ceremonies.

On why the children would abandon school for funerals Quao said the children have attached a certain kind of interest and importance to the celebration of funerals in the villages, which has astounded most of the teachers.

He, however, said that some of the children during funerals were seen helping with the arrangements at funeral grounds. "This they do sometimes in the presence of their parents and relatives who attend the ceremonies," he added.

Quao said though currently a quite number of the children were out of school because they have not paid their schools fees, he did not believe that the parents and guardians could not afford the fees.

He said at present the yearly school fees is less than 15,000, and when one looks at the spending habits of the men and women during funerals and other occasions in the villages, they cast dusts into the eyes of the school authorities that they really could not afford to educate their wards.

One of the children who confirmed the teacher's assertion said, "I don't like coming to school on Friday because normally funerals are organised in the village and I have to be there to see everything."

Asked what he goes there to do, he said, "we go there to dance and listen to music and we are also given lots of foods and drinks." Another said, "I sometimes come to school and when it was time or break time then I leave for the funeral."

Master Henry Amoah, who is in his final year in JSS said the problem was not with the pupils and students alone but also some teachers did not come to school at all on funeral occasions.

He said the children do not like learning and so anytime there was an occasion in the village they take that as an opportunity to abandoned school adding, "Our people do like learning, they only like to play when some us are serious".