Education Minister Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh says he suspects arson in the recent spate of fire outbreaks in schools.
At least, five Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country have suffered some sort of destruction as a result of fire outbreaks within the past few weeks.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh alleged those who wish students under the Free SHS Scheme to fail in the up-coming West African Senior School Certificate Examination are behind the fires.
He says police have arrested an unspecified number of suspects who are being investigated.
“I forewarned some of the security agencies that some unscrupulous people have set in to set schools ablaze. I don’t suspect; I think it is arson,” he told Nhyira FM.
He advised the administration of schools to observe personal security and not depend solely on their security guards as the students outnumber them.
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Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Education Directorate has donated education and other relief materials to OMESS to ease the plight of students after a fire outbreak.
The displaced students have returned to school after a temporary break which sought to enable authorities get replacement for learning materials destroyed in the blaze.
Headmaster, Goin Prince Charles, however fears the return of over 300 students may cause congestion in the dormitories despite the intervention.
Additionally, Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, says contracts have been awarded for work to begin on new blocks for affected schools nationwide.