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It is open season for rat hunting, and, for teachers at the Abenabo Presbyterian Junior High School (JHS) in Suhum in the Eastern Region, school hours would not be complete without the pupils engaging in one hunting expedition or the other.

On the blind side of their parents, these teachers, instead of following the Ghana Education Service (GES) syllabus and imparting knowledge to the pupils, without regard to thoughts that snakes, alligators and other wild animals could attack these pupils; indulge them in rat hunting expedition to feed their (teachers) families at home.

No wonder statistics available indicate that pupils who attend this particular school are unable to pass their BECE examinations, whereupon they are unable to gain admission into any of the public Senior High School (SHS).

As if that is not enough, these teachers, the paper gathered, also, allegedly task the pupils to carry loads of farm produce, take weeding contracts on cocoa farms of community members and assign the pupils to undertake the weeding exercise whilst they (teachers) pocket the money.

Mr. Daniel K. Madji, a member of the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) of the school, who confirmed the incidents to this reporter, indicated that the activity has persisted for many years without any one calling the teachers to order.

“Though we (the PTA) have warned the headmaster and the staff over the issue, they turn deaf ears” the concern PTA member stated.

When contacted, a long serving teacher of the school, Mr. Kizoo, admitted authorizing the students to the bush to hunt for Rats. He, however, said hunting only occurs when a student draws the attention of teachers to the hideout of a particular Rat.

He revealed that because the community is a deprived one where many teachers refuse postings, the only way they could benefit from their community service was to have access to things like Rats for free. He was however quick to add that teachers assign students for hunting only after school and not during lesson hours.