SHS boys forced to sleep in toilets

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has commenced investigations into the circumstances under which toilet cubicles at the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale got converted into dormitories for male students of the school to sleep in.

The GES said the development is unacceptable and explained that the school in question currently has enough space to comfortable accommodate about 300 additional students therefore under no circumstance should such situation happen.

The Ghana Education Service, in a statement issued over the weekend said it had directed the Headmaster and Senior Housemaster of the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale, the school where the incident is reported to have happened to step aside so as not to interfere in the investigation

The investigation is to last for two weeks.

The bizarre situation became public after an unidentified person put on social media, an amateur video of the toilet cubicles now turned dormitories.

The video showed the trunks, chop boxes and mattresses of the students arranged in the toilets. It also showed their school uniforms and other clothes hanged around the toilet doors as though they were hanged in wardrobes.

Some of the students were captured in the video cooling off all over their toilet-dormitories.

Below is the GES statement:

RE: GHANASCO TOILETS TURNED INTO ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS

The attention of the Management of Ghana Education Service has been drawn to a viral video being circulated on social media showing some students of Ghana Senior High School, Tamale, using toilet cubicles as dormitories.
This is very disturbing and unfortunate especially when records available to us indicate that, out of the 1790 vacancies declared by the school, only 1467 students have enrolled. The school is expected to have excess capacity to even house extra 300 students. It is thus, unacceptable to have students sleep in such a place.

The Headmaster and the Senior Housemaster have been directed to step aside to allow for further investigations into the matter by the Regional Director of Education and report back in two weeks.
Management wishes to assure all our stakeholders and the general public that if will continue to ensure that the students entrusted in our care operate in a safe school environment.

SIGNED
CASSANDRA TWUM AMPOFO
HEAD, PUBLIC RELATIONS