Gowrie Senior High/Technical School in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region of Ghana was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, when teachers forcibly removed the headmistress, Elizabeth Zinye Paaga, accusing her of autocratic leadership and mismanagement of school resources.
An anonymous teacher, fearing retaliation, revealed that tensions with the headmistress had been mounting since her appointment in 2021. After a series of student riots, the headmistress charged each student 109 Ghana cedis for damages. However, she allegedly failed to use the funds for necessary repairs, such as renovating the staff room and teachers’ quarters, and has not accounted for the money collected from the students. Despite multiple petitions to the district and regional education directors, no resolution was reached.
Teachers further criticised the headmistress for withholding the 2024 WASSCE results analysis, which they argue is crucial for evaluating student performance. Additionally, accusations of food diversion surfaced, including the removal of mackerels, gallons of oil, and bags of rice from the school storeroom to another location without informing the storekeeper.
The situation escalated when the acting district education director and police officers conducted an investigation. During their visit, teachers and students confronted the headmistress, chanting for her removal. One teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the faculty had been unable to administer end-of-term exams since Monday due to a shortage of A4 paper.
The teacher also mentioned instances of abusive language directed at the staff during meetings, which further fueled discontent among the faculty. Teachers are now appealing to the regional director of education to reassign the headmistress to another school. They argue that her continued presence at Gowrie SHS is damaging to the learning environment. If no action is taken, they fear they will be unable to work effectively or engage with students.
SEO Title: “Teachers Forcefully Remove Headmistress from Gowrie SHS Over Allegations of Mismanagement”
