Trainee teachers at Komenda protest

Trainee teachers at Komenda College of Education in the Central Region abandoned their lecture halls Friday morning to demonstrate against the school's administration, which they allege, has been 'extorting' money from them.

The trainees bearing placards to sum up their case, wore red bands and attire and marched to the school's administration demanding a breakdown of their school fees. According to them the authorities are charging what they described as "unapproved fees".

According to them, their investigation has revealed their fees is above what is being paid by their colleagues in other Colleges of Education in the country; something they say heightens their suspicion of an underhand dealings by the authorities.

For instance, they claim they are being made to pay school fees of about GHC1,200 whereas their counterparts are paying between GHC700 and GHC800. According to them, the fee is likely to go up again.

They consequently want the school's bursar to be removed because he is alleged to be in charge of the unapproved bills being charged them. They allege that students admitted into the school in September 2015 were made to pay admission fee of GHC2,200 each of which GHC60 was said to be for SRC project.

However, the trainees claim that when the SRC went to the school authorities to get the money for the said project, they were told by the authorities that the trainees were not billed the said GHC60.

There is also a claim that the School is charging each student GH¢30 for a lawn project which they do not understand.

"The School administration is trying to render the SRC powerless," one trainee teacher told TV3 on condition of anonymity.

The trainee teachers further claim in spite of the exorbitant fees they pay, they have not seen any development going on in the school.

"Our lights have been off since yesterday. We don't have a plant [Generator set]. Food served at the dining hall is an eyesore," one student told TV3, noting that the money that pay for food does not commensurate the food served them.

Meanwhile, the Principal, Ms. Comfort Korsah, is said to have directed the trainee teachers to officially submit a petition on the issues they have raised and forward same to them for consideration. Attempts to reach the Principal for her response has been unsuccessful