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The Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Directorate of the Ghana Education Service has directed churches worshipping in public basic schools in the metropolis and other peri-urban communities to stop the use of the classrooms, effective January 1, 2015. But the churches have described the action as unacceptable since they were duly registered by the assembly and paid a renewal fee of GH�500 to the assembly besides other forms of payment to heads of various public basic schools. Destruction of properties According to the Metropolitan Director of Education, Mr Franklin K. Dzigbede, the continuous use of the classrooms for mid-week and weekly worship by the churches had resulted in the destruction of property and was also affecting academic activities of the schools. He said the decision reaffirming the ban on the use of public basic schools for religious services was taken with the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) at its general assembly meeting and should be respected by all religious bodies. Classroom churches It is estimated that more than 6,000 different churches with a congregation of more than 100,000 use the public basic schools. There are about 120 public basic schools in the twin-city, some of which accommodate at least 10 churches. Cost to Government Mr Dzigbede said beyond using the classroom, the churches also used electricity and other utilities of the schools thereby increasing the cost of running the schools. �Most of the furniture in the schools are either destroyed or are very weak, while the use of water, electricity, toilets and other facilities by these churches are free and at no cost to them. �I must say that the directive was first issued to the churches by the assembly, however, the churches quickly rallied and formed an association, and pleaded that they be given three years to complete their own temples,� he said. The Metropolitan Director of Education said the directive should also not come as a surprise to the churches because it fell in line with their own date of agreement with the assembly and the metropolitan directorate. He explained that various wall-charts used as teaching aids in the classrooms had all been destroyed as a result of the activities of the churches, a situation, which he said, should be halted. No fees �We don�t take fees from them, they use our lights for free, and we want them out in accordance with the date they have agreed on with the directorate. They must, therefore, not renege on the date they have agreed to move after three years,� he said. Per the letter to the churches, he urged all heads of the affected public basic schools to comply with the January1, 2015 directive by the metropolitan directorate. Response Speaking to the Daily Graphic, a member of the religious groups, Rev. Norris Chris Ayensu of Zion Evangelistic Church, said the decision was a bad one. He acknowledged that there was an agreement between the churches and the assembly way back in 2007 and they were expected to move after three years, subject to the assembly�s decision. However, he said from 2007, the assembly failed to communicate to them until recently when they came up with the resolution that the churches should move. Rev. Ayensu said the religious groups would be meeting after yesterday�s service to deliberate on the issue but the outcome was not known at the time of going to press.