Trinity Basic School Headmaster Explains Caning Incident, Cites Student Safety Despite GES Ban.

Mfantseman Municipality – A disciplinary incident involving the caning of eight students at Trinity Basic School has sparked public attention, with the school’s headmaster, Mr. Samuel Bonney Awotwe, defending the action as a necessary step to protect the students’ safety, despite the Ghana Education Service (GES) ban on corporal punishment.

Speaking at a press conference covered by journalist Douglas Oyiboh Amponsah, Mr. Awotwe explained that the incident occurred when eight students were found playing on top of a stack of packed desks in a classroom.

According to him, the teacher on duty noticed the dangerous behavior and instructed the students to get down, but they allegedly refused to obey.

Mr. Awotwe stressed that the students’ actions posed a serious risk, noting that such behavior could have resulted in severe injury or even death.

He stated that the school authorities felt compelled to act firmly in order to prevent what could have turned into a tragic incident, one that would not only affect the students and their families but also damage the school’s reputation.

Although he acknowledged the GES directive prohibiting caning, the headmaster argued that in this particular case, the punishment was intended to highlight the seriousness of the students’ misconduct and to deter similar dangerous behavior in the future.

He maintained that the school’s overriding concern was to safeguard the lives of the children.

Mr. Awotwe also suggested that the affected families may not initially have fully appreciated the gravity of the situation as presented by the school.

Meanwhile, the school’s PRO, Sir Isaac Yeboah, explained that ongoing school activities delayed efforts to engage the parents immediately after the incident.

According to him, this delay may have created the impression among parents that the matter was being ignored.

He further stated that some parents took the issue to social media before first hearing the teacher’s side of the story.

However, he noted that calm has since been restored after the parents were briefed on the circumstances surrounding the incident

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He added that the teacher involved had never resorted to caning before this particular case and appealed to parents to seek proper clarification whenever such matters arise.

In a related development, the Public Relations Officer of the Mfantseman Municipal Education Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Quarshie, disclosed that the Municipal Education Director had invited the school authorities to provide a full account of the incident.

He said that after preliminary investigations, management had gained a clearer understanding of the circumstances that led to the caning.

Mr.Ebenezer Quarshie indicated that the Directorate would continue to deliberate on the matter to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken.

He strongly reminded teachers that GES has banned caning and urged them to avoid corporal punishment under all circumstances.

He also appealed to parents to remain patient and pursue dialogue when such issues arise, in order to promote peace and harmony between parents and teachers.

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Story by Douglas Oyiboh Amponsah
TV/Radio Reporter.