CHASS expresses disapproval of the GES’s decision to suspend headteachers through social media channels
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has strongly criticized the Ghana Education Service (GES) for its handling of the suspension of certain Senior High School headteachers accused of charging unauthorized fees from new students.
As of Monday morning, CHASS reported that seven headteachers in the Ashanti region had not officially received letters instructing them to step aside. Instead, they became aware of the suspension through social media, causing significant distress as they were not informed or consulted beforehand.
Zakaria Suleman Yeboah, the Ashanti regional chairman of CHASS, expressed concern about the lack of proper communication and engagement with the affected headmasters before the release of the suspension letters. He emphasized that the headmasters were traumatized by the situation and deemed the approach inappropriate.
While CHASS acknowledged concerns about alleged misconduct by 11 Senior High School headmasters nationwide, the organization clarified that it does not support any form of illegal fee charging by its members.
Speaking at the Ashanti regional education office after accompanying the seven interdicted headmasters to a meeting, the national CHASS president, Rev. Father Stephen Owusu Sekyere, revealed that their discussions with the headmasters indicated a mix of true and untrue allegations. He expressed the unrest, bitterness, fear, and panic generated by the recent events in various schools.
Rev. Father Owusu Sekyere urged the Ghana Education Service to exercise mercy in addressing the situation and called on relevant stakeholders to conduct swift investigations to bring resolution to the matter promptly. CHASS emphasized the need for headmasters nationwide to adhere strictly to approved prospectuses and avoid unauthorized fee charges.
In summary, CHASS underscored the importance of preventing similar issues and called for expeditious investigations and a fair resolution to maintain the stability and integrity of the educational system.
