Reverend Dr Sylvester Agalga, the Headmaster of Bawku Senior High School (BAWSEC) in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region, says the school is safe and parents whose children are placed in BAWSEC should allow them to report to school. ‘Management of the school is in touch with the security agencies in the area to ensure that students are safe,’ he assured parents. ‘So, parents should not be afraid to allow their children to report to school. In fact, I have told some of my colleague Headmasters to try and disabuse the minds of parents whose children are placed in BAWSEC, but they opt for other schools. ‘They should try to disabuse their minds that where BAWSEC is located, there is no cause for alarm,’ Rev Dr Agalga said. He said a total of about 520 first-year students had so far enrolled for various programmes in the school. He said management of the school requested for 1000 students but was given 750 with initial protocol of 50 students which was exhorted, ‘I applied for protocol expansion and I was granted,’ he added. Rev. Dr Agalga who disclosed this in a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, the regional capital, said, ‘Students are reporting but not as it used to be. ‘Previously, once schools reopened, students reported in their numbers. The pace at which they are reporting is very slow as compared to previous years.’ Asked if the conflict situation accounted for the slow pace, the headmaster said, ‘We cannot say it is solely because of the conflict that students have not reported but it could be a contributory factor.’ He said the conflict situation on the ground was not as was reported, ‘Admittedly, there is conflict, but the students are safe. Where the school is located is not in the heart of the town where most of the shootings are centered.’ He emphasised that, ‘Certainly, we cannot close down the school because there is conflict. Some people exaggerate the security situation of the area.’
Source: Ghana News Agency
