Tumu Senior Technical High School (STHS) has been closed indefinitely by the Sissala East Municipal Security Council (MUSEC), after students attacked school authorities and vandalised properties running into several thousands of Ghana cedis.
At least 19 students have been arrested and are in police custody.
The students staged a riot on Thursday night to register their displeasure at the confiscation of mobile phones belonging to some final year students.
The decision to close the educational institution was taken at a meeting on Friday by the school authorities, members of the MUSEC, the Regional Coordinator for Free Senior High School, the municipal and regional directors of education, as well as other staff of the education office in Tumu.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Gideon Ohene Boateng, the demonstrators, who were mostly final year students of the school, vented their anger on the school’s properties after the school authorities seized mobile phones, belonging to some final year students.
She explained that school authorities took the action, to prevent the students, who were undertaking the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), from sharing information amongst themselves.
Insp Boateng said that the angry students attacked some school authorities, vandalised properties, like plastic water storage tanks, windscreens of vehicles, louvre blades of windows, and tampered with the electricity supply, and plunged the school into darkness, at the time the police arrived at the scene.
“The Police, however, managed to salvage the situation, and arrested 19 students, including their ring leaders, Richmond Nariba Kanton and Jacob Yalla, form three and two students respectively, to assist in investigations,” he stated.
Insp Boateng said a number of police officers were stationed at the school’s premises, to protect the school authorities, students and school properties.
LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, TUMU
