Wednesday, February 19, 2014

BECHEM DEAF SUDENTS EMBARK ON DEMONSTRATION


Students of the Bechem technical school for the Deaf have embarked on a peaceful demonstration in Bechem to voice out their grievances.
        


The students in the demonstration

 Parading through the principal streets of Bechem amid the beating of drums and carrying of placards, some of which read; “Headmistress deceived S.R.C. with students”, “ I and we are all student very annoyed with the headmistress”, “ she is crazy”, “ her is not show lovely students and anything”, “discipline….. school for the Deaf we are against with the headmistress”. The  
       
Some of the placard bearing students

students, under police protection, marched to the office of the District Directorate of Education and later to the premises of the Tano South District Assembly, where their leaders briefed the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba on their grievances.
The students called for the removal of their headmistress since she has not been helping them in any way.
      
Some of the students showing concerns in sign language

They said the headmistress has not been helping them, citing her failure in assisting the S.R.C. of the school to attend meetings and also their dormitories being overcrowded, they complained of the schools toilet facility getting full for a long time without any dislodging.
Female students of the school complained of lack of sewing machines since the only ten (10) machines they have had broken down, medical care for students, they complained was lacking and meals at the school was one sided since they have for long been eating only rice.
The students complained that they had some aid from USA but have since not seen what that aid was used for and complained that they were given some RLG computers when they went to
Sunyani but have since not set eye on the computers and complained bitterly that some of their masters do not understand their sign language.
The students who though did not put their grievances into writing but it in sign languages and was translated by a staff of the Assembly, Mr. Offei Obed Agyemang, said all that they need was the removal of the headmistress of the school for a male counterpart to be brought in to replace her.
 Addressing the students, the Tano South District Chief executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba, thanked the students for bringing their grievances to the notice of the authorities for redress but reminded them that there is an act which takes care of such events which is the Public Order Act, which stipulates the requirements for carrying out demonstrations. He reminded them of the notification of the police on the event, date, time, route and the response from the police.
  
Picture left shows Hon. Anaba addressing the students whiles Mr. Offei translates in sign language

Hon. Anaba said that their demonstration had taking the police and the authorities by surprise since the police were called in to protect them when reports got to the police but notwithstanding their grievances would be taken care of and the necessary actions taken on them.
Hon. Anaba said he would consult the District Director of Education and all stakeholders in this matter for a solution to be found on the matter, he assured the students that the matter would not be left to lie but the necessary remedy found to it.
Hon. Anaba said he cannot immediately call for the removal of the headmistress as they are demanding since she has her rights as they also have and entreated them to exercise patience and give them time for the matter to be looked into.
The D.C.E. pleaded with the students to go peacefully to their campus with the promise that officials of the Assembly and the District Directorate of Education would visit them but cautioned that if there is any Master or Teacher who is behind the students action calling for the removal of the headmistress, that master or teacher should count himself or herself out that he or she would be going with the headmistress, should the need arise.
The D.C.E. later promised the students of the Assembly’s readiness to donate five (5) sewing machines to the school.

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