By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Aug 16, GNA – The Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC), has closed down the Bolgatanga Technical Institute (BOTECH) indefinitely, following a violent protest by some students of the school.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, August 15, 2025, led to the destruction of school property, including the school’s library and administration block, the Electricity Company of Ghana meter, and the senior headmaster’s office.
The irate students also burnt books belonging to the school and destroyed furniture, as well as a faulty bus parked on the campus, and in the process injured six students who are currently receiving treatment.
The cause of the violent conduct is currently unknown, but Ghana News Agency (GNA) sources indicated that the incident may have occurred following the suspension of six students by the management of the school over misconduct.
Friends of the suspended students allegedly mobilised to protest the action of management, thereby engaging in violent conduct.
An eyewitness told the GNA that the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service intervened to prevent the flames from spreading to adjoining facilities and to restore calm.
No arrest had been made at the time of filing this report, but the police have begun investigations to unravel the cause of the violent conduct and arrest the perpetrators.
The incident adds to a series of violent acts the school has recorded in recent years.
It would be recalled that in 2022, the school was also shut down indefinitely after violent clashes between students and security personnel during an examination, following the arrest of four students and two teachers by officials from the National Intelligence Bureau over alleged examination malpractice.
Investigations at the time revealed that some final-year students had colluded with two second-year students to obtain a copy of a mathematics paper on their phones, and the answers were allegedly shared with the final-year students, who left the examination hall under various excuses to access them before returning to complete their scripts.
When invigilators tightened rules to stop students from leaving the hall, tensions boiled over, leading to acts of vandalism and assaults on staff, forcing REGSEC to close the school and halting academic activities for several weeks.
Incidents of violent conduct in second-cycle institutions in the region have become a serious concern for stakeholders.
Apart from this incident, it would be recalled that a few weeks ago, the Zuarungu Senior High School was also shut down following violent conduct by students.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Lydia Kukua Asamoah