The parents of a form three student at Labone Senior High School have petitioned the Ghana Education Service (GES) over allegations of physical assault and wrongful suspension from the school’s boarding house.
In a petition dated June 21, 2024, addressed to the Director General of the GES, the parents alleged that their son, Master Abraham Sambou, was slapped by the senior housemaster, Mr. Eric Agyemang, after a false accusation by the school prefect.
“The incident in question occurred on June 18, 2024, when senior house master Mr. Eric Agyemang aka Power allegedly slapped our son after he was wrongly accused by the school prefect, Blessing Nyamekye, of using a mobile phone and refusing to hand it over,” the petition stated.
According to the petition, Master Sambou was prevented from attending classes and was kept in the senior house master’s office without food or water until the family arrived to meet with the school’s management. The petition also alleged that the headmistress, Mrs. Rejoice Acorlor, supported Mr. Agyemang’s actions and stated that she would have acted even more harshly.
The parents are seeking a thorough investigation into the allegations, the revocation of Master Sambou’s suspension, and disciplinary action against Mr. Agyemang. They also want the GES to monitor the conduct of the headmistress and implement policies to prevent similar incidents.
“We are deeply concerned about the mistreatment of our ward and the conduct of the school authorities, particularly Mr. Agyemang, who has admitted to slapping our son,” the petition stated. “We trust that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service will act swiftly and justly to ensure that the welfare and rights of all students at Labone Senior High School are upheld.”
Below is the full petition to the Ghan Education Service
21st June, 2024
The Director General
Ghana Education Service
P. O. Box M45, Ministries
Accra.
RAISSA EBU (MRS)
C/O NEW TIMES CORPORATION
DIGITAL PROPERTY ADDRESS: GA-134-5372
RING ROAD WEST
ACCRA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
- O. BOX M 45, ACCRA
Dear Sir,
PETITION FOR INVESTIGATION INTO PHYSICAL ASSAULT AND REINSTATEMENT OF ABRAHAM SAMBOU TO LABONE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOARDING HOUSE
We write respectfully to formally petition the Ghana Education Service (GES) for a thorough investigation into the physical assault and indefinite suspension of our ward Master Abraham Sambou, a form three student at Labone Senior High School, Accra.
The incident in question occurred on June 18, 2024, when senior house master Mr Eric Agyemang aka Power allegedly slapped Master Sambou after the latter was wrongly accused by the school prefect, Blessing Nyamekye, of using a mobile phone and refusing to hand it over.
In addition to the physical assault, Master Sambou was prevented from attending classes on the same day and was kept in the senior house master’s office without food nor water until after 2 PM, when we arrived to meet with the school’s management. Following this, Master Sambou has been indefinitely expelled from the boarding house despite his denying the false allegations.
Master Sambou maintains that he does not use a phone at school; he was merely defending himself against the prefect’s harassment and false accusation. This wrongful undocumented expulsion without recourse to due process poses a significant problem to the entire family since Master Sambou would have to commute daily from Kasoa in the Central Region to Labone, Accra.
The family is deeply concerned about the mistreatment of our ward Master Sambou and the conduct of the school authorities, particularly Mr Agyemang, who has admitted to slapping this vulnerable final year student – a student who needs all the psychological help he can get as the WASSCE approaches.
Mr Agyemang justified his actions by claiming Master Sambou lied about his father’s availability when asked to provide his father’s phone number. Later, it was confirmed that Master Sambou’s father was indeed unavailable as the call was eventually answered by the boy’s mother.
When we visited the school to address the issue, Mr Agyemang admitted to slapping Master Sambou. The headmistress, Mrs Rejoice Acorlor, brazenly supported Mr Agyemang’s actions and stated that she would have acted even more harshly by slapping my ward and hitting him with her shoes. She also mentioned that if the incident had occurred before the registration for the WASSCE, she would have ensured Master Sambou was not registered for the exam.
Such a braggadocious stance by this whimsical and capricious headmistress who clearly lacks deportment and does not understand the rudiments of a fair and just hearing as natural law dictates raises serious concerns about the school’s governance and the quality of education in this nation of ours, founded on the principles of freedom and justice, probity and accountability.
For example, where is the school’s disciplinary committee in all of this, if such a body exists? Additionally, there are troubling reports of Mr Agyemang’s continued physical abuse and unjust treatment of students, including involving a military officer to assault a student and subjecting students to prolonged punishment without cause.
Given these serious allegations, we respectfully implore the Ghana Education Service to undertake the following actions:
- Conduct a full and impartial investigation into the allegations against Master Abraham Sambou, the actions of Mr Eric Agyemang, and the response of the headmistress Mrs Rejoice Acorlor.
- Revoke the unwarranted indefinite dismissal of Master Abraham Sambou from the boarding house, and allow him to continue his studies in a conducive environment, especially when there is no record of indiscipline against such a hardworking student who the senior house master admits has no prior disciplinary issue.
- Hold Mr. Eric Agyemang accountable for slapping Master Abraham Sambou and take appropriate disciplinary measures.
- Monitor the conduct and administrative practices of the headmistress, Mrs. Rejoice Acorlor, to ensure the protection and fair treatment of all students.
- Implement policies to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and safeguard students from abuse and unjust treatment.
The wrongful actions against Abraham Sambou have caused significant distress and disruption to his education, particularly as he prepares for his final examination. Following the assault, Master Abraham Sambou has been experiencing severe headaches and pain in his left ear and left eye, necessitating treatment at the Amanfro Polyclinic on Wednesday 19th June, 2024. As of the time of writing this petition, Mr Eric Agyemang has a photograph of himself on his WhatsApp Display Picture (contact number 0244382506) in which he is seen purportedly loading a gun.
It is imperative that Master Abraham Sambou is given a fair hearing as required by natural law so that he can continue his studies without undue physical and psychological trauma.
We trust that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service will act swiftly and justly to ensure that the welfare and rights of all students at Labone Senior High School are upheld.
Please accept the assurances of our highest considerations.
