Distress calls by students of Ashanti Mampong Nursing and Midwifery Training College go unheeded

Some students of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Mampong in the Ashanti region are being kept on tenterhooks while those capable of attending to their distress calls are probably biding their time, if not ignoring them in what is complete nonchalance.

The principal of the school, Mrs. Gifty Helena Dwamena Boateng, has taken to a unilateral discriminatory actionable to derail the future of serious up and coming youth, against the students, inferring from the information reaching, or available to, me.

She has resorted to demoting, repeating, or ordering for the sack of some students without any scrutiny of the impact of her action on the future lives of the students and the ethics of her profession as principal.

For very suspicious reasons, students who were allowed to proceed to the next higher class or level with low pass mark owing to how the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions of lockdown of schools affected their academic work very badly, are today, thus, a year later, being compelled to pay the consequences of the lockdown through what may be characterized as the pull of hair from one’s nose. How difficult and painful that is!

During the 2020/2021 academic or calendar year lockdown of schools almost worldwide, with a consequential negative effect on students and pupils across the board in all academic institutions at all levels, unique solutions were adopted by farsighted leaders to mitigate some of the problems faced by the students.

In some countries, electronic learning was introduced where students and pupils were scheduled to sit behind their computers to attend virtual classes or lessons with their teachers, do assignments, etc.

For part of the unique solutions found, students in their final year in schools in some countries could not sit for the usual final year written examinations upon which results are declared, promotions made and certificates awarded.

However, the examination boards of some countries in agreement with their government approved the acceptance of students being awarded grades in their various subjects based on the knowledge of their cumulative academic performance by their tutors.

The grades awarded were accepted by the appointed examination boards with the students subsequently issued with certificates and could pursue higher academic learning, one choosing.

This happened in the United Kingdom where I reside. Any curious mind or doubting Thomas had better ascertain the truth of my assertion by referring to the content of the underlying web link.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020

In Ghana and at Mampong Nursing and Midwifery Training College, the principal of the school, Mrs. Gifty Helena Dwamena Boateng, either personally, thus solely, or in consultation and agreement with the school management board, accepted the wholesale promotion of students from say, level 100 to 200 and 300 in that sequence, even with their poor or failed end of semester or year examination results.

Their overall poor performance may have come about as a result of the students being locked out of school for eight months following the COVID-19 pandemic with its attendant restrictions including a lockdown of schools and cities. This is not any secret to any discerning Ghanaian.

The students of Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Ashanti Mampong returned to school only to be faced with sitting for their end-of-semester or academic year exams.

Without the proper means to have actively participated in any virtual lessons to have been organized by their tutors while at home in lockdown, no wonder that the students performed abysmally.

Subsequently, the principal accepted their wholesale promotion t their next higher levels or classes.

Some went on to perform better, sat for their academic and licensure exams, passed, and left the school.

Why then is it that a year later, the principal of the school has decided not to accept the poor results of the students upon which she accepted them for promotion to the next higher levels where same students have been doing brilliantly well?

Despite their current performance, she wants some of the students demoted, repeated, or sacked based on their previous failed or low average examination results earned because of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions as stated earlier.

Is she being fair to the students? Is she thinking right? Does she know that she could be cited for discrimination, victimization, etc. if the laws were to be applied fairly in Ghana with all those overseeing that justice is prevailed doing their job professionally?

She has already accepted the payments of some of the affected students for their current higher school levels yet, she wants to have them demoted, sacked, or repeated. Is she thinking right and as a professional in charge of such a big school?

Let me briefly tell the story of this young Ghanaian male from a village near Adeiso in the Eastern Region of Ghana. This young man in his narrative said he had aggregate 26 in his Junior High School final year exams certificate. For him, he did not perform brilliantly.

However, upon all his difficult family living circumstances, walking 11 kilometers to and from school on a dusty road on certain days and many times, from his village to attend Adeiso Senior High School, he ended up scoring 8As in his final Senior High School examinations in the eight subjects he sat for in the WASSCE namely, English Language, Mathematics (Core), Integrated Science, Economics, Geography, Government and Mathematics (Elective).

The said boy, Thomas Amoaning, has been awarded the scholarship on demand by His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, by the Ghana government. He is currently studying at one of the prestigious universities, thus, Brunel University, in London, United Kingdom.

He did not do better while at the Junior High School but at the Senior High School. Therefore, for the principal under discussion to behave in the way she is doing to the students is not right, if not myopic and irresponsible.

I hope she will rescind her decision so far taken as I deem it outrageous, unfair, and discriminatory.

Again, all the stakeholders, Parent Teacher Association, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Member of Parliament, and MCE for Mampong constituency and municipality respectively, should convey a meeting to resolve the problem as the future of some students is at stake.

I shall be back with more publications as long as this issue remains resolved.