Agric Students Boycott School Over Unpaid ‘Alawa’

Aggrieved students of Kwadaso Agricultural Training School in Kumasi have embarked on a strike action over unpaid training allowances, and have subsequently vacated the school campus.

According to the students, they will not return until government includes them in the restoration package.

During a visit to the school by the paper on Tuesday, there was no activity going on as the entire campus was virtually turned into a ghost town.

Anger

It would be recalled that Agric students across the country became incensed after government left them out when allowance of nursing and teacher trainees were restored recently by government.

To register their displeasure, the aggrieved students travelled to Accra and picketed at the forecourt of the Ministry of Agriculture over what they termed an ‘unfair treatment’.

According to the striking students, they were expecting government to respond to their demands after they picketed last week, but that was not the case. They said they had no option than to stay away from classes.

One of the students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they need the allowance to help mitigate their huge financial burdens.

According to him, Agric students are not guaranteed direct employment after school so they expected government to at least support them whilst in school.

Another student noted that the government had discriminated against them by leaving them out in the recent allowance restoration.

Unconfirmed reports say other schools my follow the action taken by students at the Kwadaso campus.

Source: Kwadwo Essel/ thePublisher