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Sorcery on the rise in Ketu-North schools - GES

“Sadly enough our environment is not conducive enough for teaching and learning, having been characterized by occultism, sex activities, defecating in our classrooms among others”, Mr. Ayagitam said.

 

He was speaking at a-day’s stakeholder forum on emerging trends on education in the area on Thursday at Weta Senior High Technical School (WESTEC) at Weta in the Volta Region.

Mr Ayagitam said in some instances, it was alleged some male pupils had sought “spiritual powers” to charm their female colleagues and teachers for intimacy.

The forum was convened by John Gatsi Educational Foundation, a private entity fostering improvement in academic standards in the area, through competitive exams and teaching skills update, with support from the National Investment Bank (NIB).

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He said at Avekordome Basic School, for example, some suspected human teeth were placed on the tables and chairs of some teachers in February this year, after a similar occurrence in November last year.

Mr Ayagitam said the teachers, including the head and some pupils, who came into contact with the object were said to have received some “electric-like shock waves in their arms, followed later with severe headache, swollen arms and legs and a feeling of coldness and shivering among others”.

“As I am talking to you now the headteacher and other teachers and pupils are sick and everyone, particularly the teachers are scared of staying to work in the area”, Mr. Ayigitam said.

He said one of the nine communities which feeds the Avekordome school, had withdrawn pupils from the school because in their thinking the school should have been located in their community.

Mr Ayagitam said Avekordome community leaders fearing some form of spiritual attack, “have started rituals to cleanse the school”.

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He said in that community, some black powder suspected to be spiritual, was sprinkled at the doorsteps of some teachers who punished pupils.

The Director said in most cases the suspects had been dismissed and barred from enrollment in any school in the area, while the two men who allegedly supervised the spiritual process were brought before a traditional court and fined GH₵300.00 and some bottles of liquor.

He said a pupil thought to be under some invocation during morning devotion, revealed some of them had put some magical preparations in the food of some teachers.

Mr Ayagitam said the boy under spell alleged some food vendors were also involved.

The Director said a total of 275 pupils, 114 of them in primary school, became pregnant in the area between 2012 and 2015, with the highest of 78, including 28 in primary occurring last year alone.

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“These issues are endangering our learning environment, and is very worrying”, he said.

Dr. John Gatsi, Founder-Director of John Gatsi Educational Foundation, expressed happiness for the support, openness and willingness of the Education Directorate to openly discuss challenges for redress, observing that such openness was not available in some areas.

Mr Gatsi who is also a lecturer at the Cape Coast University School of Business, called on all stakeholders to come around to address challenges, as the future of the youth and the area depended on education.

When the GNA visited Avekordome School at 13:00 hours on Thursday, there were no pupils on campus, except one teacher who was also on the way home.

That teacher confirmed the sorcery allegation and said the teachers in the school were seeking transfers.

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Source: GNA

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