The Kade Magistrate Court has fined two former students of Kade Senior High Technical School (Kade SHTS) GH¢3,800 each for assaulting a teacher, following a ruling delivered by His Lordship George Davis Ofori.
The court ordered that GH¢1,800 of the amount be paid to the state, while GH¢2,000 is to be paid as compensation to the victim.
The convicts were cautioned that failure to pay the fine would result in a six-month custodial sentence.
The judgment has, however, sparked criticism from stakeholders within the education sector.
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Edward Osae Asare, Kade Zonal Chairman of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, describing the punishment as inadequate given the gravity of the offence.
According to him, the sentence fails to serve as a strong deterrent to others, particularly at a time when incidents of violence against teachers are becoming increasingly common.
He further revealed that the accused persons and some of their relatives reportedly broke into jubilation immediately after the judgment was delivered, a development he described as deeply troubling.
Meanwhile, progress has been made in the arrest of another suspect linked to the incident. Kingsley Baah, who reportedly went into hiding after the assault, has since been apprehended by the police.
He was arraigned before the same court and remanded into prison custody for two weeks to assist with ongoing investigations.
The case has reignited calls from teacher unions and civil society groups for stricter sanctions against individuals who assault educators, with many arguing that lenient punishments undermine efforts to protect teachers and maintain discipline within the education system.
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Investigations into the matter are ongoing, and authorities say further actions will be taken as necessary.