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The Ministry of Education has asked parents of the Islamic High School students to remain calm as the safety of their wards is a top priority of the Ministry after the disturbances in the school on Monday.
The Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the Deputy Minister of Education, who gave the assurance, said there was no need for parents to panic as the Ministry and other stakeholders took steps to maintain peace and security in the school.
Speaking to the media after visiting the school on Monday, Rev. Fordjour said some of the students, who were rushed to health facilities following the incident, were discharged with those on admission in stable conditions.
Students of the school staged a protest on Monday morning, blocking the main road in front of the school as they demanded the construction of speed ramps to check speeding vehicles.
Sources at the school told the Ghana News Agency that two students were nearly killed some weeks ago after a speeding vehicle knocked them just in front of the school.
The source said a female tutor of the school also suffered a similar fate last week when another speeding vehicle rammed into her car as she exited the school through the main gate.
These two incidents and many others triggered the students’ protest to demand immediate construction of speed ramps to protect the students and other pedestrians from needless accidents.
A team of Police officers deployed to maintain order allegedly fired live bullets, causing pandemonium and stampede as the students run for cover.
The peace officers also fired tear gas in the process, causing some of the students, especially those with asthma and other respiratory conditions, to gasp for breath.
About 30 of them were rushed to nearby health facilities for medical attention as some parents stormed the school to ensure their wards’ safety.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister first visited the various health facilities to check on the students on admission before proceeding to the school to engage the entire student body.
He told them that their colleagues were in stable condition and that some of them could even join them in school after being discharged.
He was happy that calm had been restored in the school, adding that the ministry would take urgent steps, in collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, to address the students’ concerns soon.
The welfare of students, he said, was a priority of the Education Ministry and assured parents and the public that the students were safe and in good hands.
The Deputy Minister, however, counselled the students to channel their grievances through the school authorities rather than addressing them in their way.
