Diaso (C/R), May 01, GNA - Candidates preparing to write the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at Denkyira-Boase in the Upper Denkyira-West District of the Central Region are afraid to attend school.
This followed the lynching of an army Captain, Maxwell Adam Mahama in the area on Monday, 29, 2017.
Ms Rose Tenkorang, the District Director of Education who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency, said the situation has compelled her outfit to indefinitely close down schools in the area.
She lamented that the situation would have serious toll on academic work and could affect the performance of candidates preparing to write their exams scheduled for Monday, June 5 but said there was nothing she could do.
Fear had gripped inhabitants of the town after soldiers descended on them in search of the perpetrators of the heinous crime many of whom had bolted since Monday when the incident happened.
Ms Tenkorang mentioned the worse affected schools to be Anglican Basic School and the Roman Catholic Basic Schools with total registered candidates of 73.
According to her, scores of innocent school children have either fled the community or were hiding in the nearby villages with their parents for the fear of being arrested.
She said: “Psychologically, the academic environment is not conducive for learning. adding that, “parents also feel the safety of their children is supreme, considering the current tension in the area.
If a child is in school and at the same time thinking of how to get home safely amidst uncertainties of receiving gunshot or military drills, what do you think will be the state of mind of such a child” she asked.”
Ms Tenkorang indicated that the Directorate was collaborating with the district assembly to persuade parents to allow their children especially BECE candidates to return to school.
She stressed the need for all well-meaning Ghanaians committed to the promoting quality education to augment the effort of the Ghana Education Services (GES) by supporting them with teaching and learning materials (TLM).
This, she said, would be a morale booster to commence the psychological processes of healing both teachers and students who had been traumatised.
According to her, a female teacher who was mistaken to be one of the perpetrators was attacked and manhandled by the security and appealed to teachers who have fled the community to return.
Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama was on Monday lynched and burnt by residents of Denkyira-Boase who mistook him for an armed robber.
Since the report of his death, there has been intensed public outcry demanding justice for the late army officer.
A team of security personnel were dispatched to the area in search of the perpetrators and that created tension.
So far, six persons, including the assembly member for the area who is said to have allegedly led the mob to lynch Captain Mahama have been arrested in connection with the act and five are being detained in Police custody at Cape Coast.
The sixth person who sustained gunshot wounds is receiving treatment under police guard.
GNA
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