As the second phase of the four phase ongoing Biometric Voter Registration progresses in the face of wide ranging criticisms mostly involving faulty computers, and ill trained personnel, school pupils in their growing number say the appointment of teachers for Voter Registration has left class rooms without an unspecified number of school teachers, a situation that has left pupils unattended to and thereby depriving them of viable academic education.
Particularly affected are pupils preparing for various public examinations starting with National Primary School Examinations (NPSE).
Speaking of the ordeals faced by growing number of pupils, they explained how classrooms have been vacated by good number of teachers now busy carrying out Registration exercise leaving them to go without classes for two weeks going only for them to be deprived of their education.
The pupils recounted the problems they are going through especially when most of their parents are being indebted and overburdened only for them to be open to the treatment they referred to as criminal on the part of the school authorities who have failed to look into the plights of the poor pupils.
Particularly Pupils preparing for all the three public examinations of NPSE, BECCE, WASCE were quick to complain that the worst of it is that the syllabuses have not been covered and nothing seems to be done and that all efforts made by their parents to remedy the situation have been in vain.
Speaking to regional educational authorities most have since denied any knowledge of the attitude of certain teachers which they stated will be investigated except that there has been no official complain to the effect.
They in turn promised to look in to the complain with the view of helping out the pupils especially in the case of Bonthe Secondary School from where pupils have continued to complain of good number of teachers having abandoned their school work.
Also coming under the spotlight was the complain involving the extra school charges and of late the introduction of weekend classes in Primary schools starting with pupils in classes two and three all required to attend for which payment are made upfront.
For their parts most parents told Awoko that they are becoming tired with fresh complains involving the extra school charges which they stated is becoming a common place with Education authorities failing to do nothing about the growing problems in the face of the ongoing economic hardship.
Concluding concerned residents say it is high time Government looked into the plight of the pupils which they say has continued to negatively affect the entire education system in the country once termed as the Athens of West Africa.
By Easmon Moiguah
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