Parent chastises sacked SHS daughter for insulting Akufo-Addo; pleads for clemency

A Parent of one of the students sacked for insulting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, (name withheld) has lashed out at his daughter for insulting an elderly person old enough to be her father or grandfather.

He said on the mid day news on TV3 with Martin Asiedu Darteh, Thursday January 12 that no responsible parent will condone such conduct of disrespecting and insulting the elderly.

“I have not read the report, I don’t know the content of the report. Inasmush as we condemn unreservedly the behaviour of the students, because no responsible parent will condone what they did that, his daughter or his son should go out there and be insulting the elderly people who are old enough to be your father or your grandfather, but I think we should have tempered justice with mercy or we should still temper justice with mercy and not just throw them out there to the wolves.”

He further indicated that his daughter said they were only joking but unfortunately, one of them recorded the scenes which got leaked on social media.

“She is at home, she is traumatized. When the incident occurred and we spoke to our daughter she said they were only joking. The intent was not to throw it out there into the media, they didn’t know one of them was secretly recording, she recorded and unfortunately the video leaked.

“You could see form their reaction that they themselves were shocked that it leaked,” he said.

He stressed “They were joking, youthful exuberance or something but unfortunately on their part one of them recorded and leaked.”

The GES in a letter to the parents of one of the students explained that her conduct was “considered very undesirable and contrary to the acceptable standards of conduct generally required of any student in our Educational system in Ghana.”

The GES admonished the students to use the dismissal as “a major turning point in her life to bring the desired change in her behaviour and attitude towards life.”

Earlier, the GES apologized to the President on behalf of the school and the students.

“Management of the GES wishes to extend our sincere apology to the President and the general public on behalf of the students and the school,” the GES said in a statement released on Monday November 14.

The GES described the act as “unfortunate”, adding that it is “against every educational and moral principle of our society.”

The Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), Peter Partey Anti described the sacking of the students as harsh.

In his view, the students could have been taken through measures to reform them and not outright dismissal.

“The GES should have a second look at this punishment,” he also said on the mid day news with Martin Asiedu Dartey on TV3 Thursday January 12, after indicating that “It is too harsh.”

Source: 3news.com|Ghana