North Tongu GES Director, Catholic Priest unilaterally decide to rename Battor D/A Basic

Information picked by Coverghana.com.gh alleged that, the North Tongu District Director of Education Isabella Regina Ayimey (Mrs) together with the Battor Roman Catholic Church Priest have taken a unilateral decision to rename Battor District Assembly (D/A) Basic School without engaging key stakeholders who matter in such a decision.

A letter intercepted by Coverghana.com.gh has confirmed that, the District Director of Education in August 2022 has written to the Director-General of GES through the Volta Regional Director of Education to give approval for the school to be renamed upon receiving a letter from the Catholic Priest Rev. Father Akordor Emmanuel who is not a stakeholder in the management of the Battor D/A Basic School.

Our checks revealed that, the District Director forwarded the application from the Parish Pastoral Council of St. Maria Goretti Parish, Battor and the Local Manager of the Roman Catholic Schools, Battor to the office of the Director-General requesting for renaming of the Battor D/A Basic School as Battor R/C Basic School ‘B’ due to the following reasons among others “believed not to be true.”

The District Director in her letter alleged that,

1. The school was originally built as complementary to the earlier established as R/C primary school through the effort of the Roman Catholic Missionaries who released the land. The school was named R/C primary School but, was later change to L/A primary and Now D/A primary.

2. There is a need to properly bring this school under the management of the Catholic Education unit to enable them manage all these schools located in the enclave one cluster of schools.

The District Director also forwarded site plan, indenture and application letter from the Parish Pastoral Council of St. Maria Goretti Parish and Catholic Education Unit, Battor to the Director-General for necessary actions.

Reasons for alleging that, the GES Director and Roman Catholic Priest took unilateral decision to rename Battor D/A Basic School.

The District Director and the Catholic Priest were accused for taking unilateral decision to rename the Battor D/A Basic School on the following reasons:

1. That, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the School Management Committee (SMC) and the Staff of the school were not engaged on the request from the Roman Catholic Priest before the District Director forwarded same to the office of the Director-General to take immediately action.

2. That, the North Tongu District Assembly and Battor Traditional Council under which the Battor D/A Basic School operates were not officially engaged on the subject matter.

3. Aside the above stakeholders, the North Tongu District Education Directorate failed to officially open discussion on the request from the Roman Catholic Priest before taking action to rename the school.

4. It was reported that, Rev. Father Akordor Emmanuel disclosed that, the District Director of Education Isabella Regina Ayimey (Mrs) is his Aunty, and will make sure that, the school is renamed under his regime.

Rev. Father Akordor Emmanuel allegedly said this when he confronted some old students of Battor D/A Basic School at the premises of the school on last Saturday, who went there to mount a signpost at the school.

5. Other stakeholders suspect conflict of interest between the District Director and Roman Catholic Priest on the matter.

According to the old students, parents and other stakeholders of the school, they were informed on the issue after the District Director resolved to rename the school as Battor R/C Basic School ‘B’ by writing a letter to the Director-General of GES seeking his approval.

Confusion while mounting a new signpost at Battor D/A Basic School

It was reported that, on last Saturday, Rev. Father Akordor Emmanuel confronted some old students of Battor D/A Basic School who went to the school to mount a signpost in front of the school.

According to information gathered, the Roman Catholic Priest proposed the old students label the signpost as “Battor R/C Basic School ‘B'” as captured in the District Director’s letter to the Director-General.

The old students requested for an official statement indicating the proposal from the Priest but, he couldn’t provide any.

Reports suggest that, there were confusion, involving exchange of unpleasant words at the scene between the Priest and the old students of the school in which Rev. Father Akordor Emmanuel reportedly threatened to deal with a staff of the school who was present supervising the work.

Resolution from Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

Information picked by Coverghana.com.gh further confirmed that, the Parent-Teacher Association has strongly opposed the unilateral decision of the District Director and the Roman Catholic Priest to rename the school to suit their parochial interest.

In a PTA meeting held on Wednesday, 2nd November, 2022, the gathering has vowed to protest any attempt by whosoever to rename Battor D/A Basic School.

According to the Parent-Teacher Association, it was proper for the District Director to have engaged the North Tongu District Assembly, Battor Traditional Council, PTA and SMC leaderships on the request brought forward by the Parish Pastoral Council of St. Maria Goretti Parish, Battor and the Local Manager of the Roman Catholic Schools, Battor before taking any further step since the request has been in the pipeline for ages.

The PTA also resolved that, the Director-General of GES should immediately discard the purported letter from the District Director in an independent attempt to rename Battor D/A Basic School.

They noted that, Battor D/A Basic School is the only District Assembly school located at the District Capital of the North Tongu District Assembly, hence there’s no way they would accept the name of the school to be changed.

Some of the parents called on the District Director to rather use her energy to lobby for infrastructure, teaching and learning resources among others for the school than engaging herself in renaming the school.

The PTA also explained that, it’s UNTRUE that, the Battor D/A Basic School was originally built as complementary to the earlier established as R/C primary school.

They again said, the position in District Director’s letter explaining that, the school was first named R/C primary school but, was later change to L/A primary and Now D/A primary is a palpable false.

The PTA further explained that, since the establishment of the school in 1974, as captured in the school’s logbook, the assertion that the school was first named R/C primary school before being changed is not true.

They have also challenged the District Director and the Battor Roman Catholic Priest to provide any fact on the allegations raised.

READ THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR’S LETTER BELOW.

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SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh