Authorities of the Fiave Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Junior High School in Ho have appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other organisers of this year�s 6th March past in the Volta region to exclude the school.
The authorities took the decision after the death of a 14-year-old JHS one pupil, Gorni Etornam who collapsed and died at Volta Regional Hospital in Ho last Monday.
The Assistant Headmaster, Aron Hornuvo, who confirmed this to DAILY GUIDE said the death of Etornam had negatively affected her colleagues.
�Most of the students are traumatised by their friend�s death and so the school has decided to pull out of the 6th March activity to console our beloved Etornam,� he said.
He explained that the school provided 44 pupils for the regional parade as part of the 55th Anniversary of Ghana�s independence.
The deceased and her colleagues partook in the rehearsals without any problems and she even ate with her friends that fateful Monday morning before they went to the Jubilee Park, he indiacted.
Mr. Hornuvo said, �We are currently talking and counselling most of them with the help of some counsellors from the district education office and some teachers in the school,� he noted.
He denied claims that the girl was suffering from sickle cell disease and that the rehearsal might have triggered the ailment.
He explained �as far as the school�s records are concerned, Etornam is not a sickler and is an active sports girl who partook in internal and external football and athletic competitions. She even represented the school in inter schools athletics, handball, volley and football competitions last term.�
Mr. Hornuvo said the parents of Etornam, especially the mother are currently mourning, but the father, who is a policeman, has remained steadfast.
He said the school is in talks with the Education Directorate and the parents to give Etornam a befitting burial.
The District Education Director, Emmauel Keteku noted that since the Ho Municipal Hospital Morgue was full, the corpse was sent to the St Anthony�s Hospital morgue in Dzodze.
The Directorate, he noted, had not received the autopsy report.
He said in the Municipal Directorate had been directed by the Regional Director of Education, Gabriel Klpoanyi to liaise with the school to hold a befitting burial for the young girl.
Mr Kploanyi assured the parents that the girl would be given a befitting burial because she died while serving the nation.
He noted that he would ensure that all schools in Ho attend the funeral and promised to support the parents.
<<Print>>