Pupils Invoke �Antoa Nyama� On Teachers

Some parents and school children in the Kwabre East District of Ashanti have resorted to invoking �Antoa Nyama�, the powerful deity in the region, on teachers who discipline them at school. Most of the school children are said to be resorting to the act of cursing the teachers for any punishment meted out to them, especially failure to do homework. Some of them allegedly go to school with eggs to fast-track the curses, whenever they are punished by a teacher. Among the schools where the act is prevalent are Abirem, Sarfo and Nwoamase primary schools, as well as Kenyase Junior High School. What has aggravated the situation is the claim that one of the teachers at the Nwoamase Primary School fell seriously sick following a curse on him by a pupil last year, and when he recovered he left the school. This development has resulted in the teachers seeking transfers and threatening to resign if the transfers are not effected. Mr. Kwame Amoah, Community Participation Coordinator of the Kwabre East Education Service, who confirmed this to newsmen said some of the cases had ended up at the palace of the Asantehemaa, with family members being fined for such acts and being asked to provoke the curses. He observed that the act of cursing, seemed to be a fashion in the area, but said his outfit was in talks with traditional and opinion leaders in the communities to discourage the people from the habit. The 'Times' gathered that most of the school children have been visiting a special spot within the community called �Mmoreebam�, where entertainment is the order of the day. In view of this, the school children fail to do most of this homework, but any punishment by a teacher would attract the curse.