The St Edwards Primary School situated at Fort Street is alleged to have fictitious pupil enrollment, designed to get higher fee subsidies from the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports defrauding government and wasting public expenditure.
This press visited the school to get their own side of the story, upon arrival at the school compound our reporter caught up with the head mistress, for the after noon session of the school Francess Forewa who was seated at her office and who also later alerted the morning shift head master Patrick Kamanda to react to the ghost pupil allegation.
Mr. Kamanda intimated Awoko in an interview that the allegation is “baseless and have no iota of truth”. He pointed fingers on his detractors who the school supported with all facilities and could not deliver are bent on tarnishing the school image and hard working staff.
He added that, the school enrollment currently stands at 484 for the morning shift and 588 for afternoon shift noting that, they are operating 14 class rooms and one store with toilet facilities for the school “we have no empty class rooms in the school” he stressed.
On the question of school subsidies he lamented that the school have not yet received subsidies from the government since 2007 to date, but the school management thought it fit to work with staff and parents so as to raise funds for the smooth running of the school.
He also disclosed that the school sent 210 pupils for the NPSE exam but only three were absent for the exams due to unavoidable circumstances but however noted that the school activities are in progress despite some logistical and financial problems to pay laborers working at the school.
The two head teachers took this press on a conducted tour of the 14 class rooms though some where partially empty due to the break, but the black board had yesterdays chalk written notes while few teachers were seen preparing their notes for classes, though they pleaded not to be photographed and the school roaster was not available for verification by this press.