As
though a school in a typical rural setting, half the pupils in form one (1) sit
on logs and a pile of wood (wawa boards) and write on their laps during classes
due to the limited number of desks.
There
is a daily scramble over the few desks which are occupied on first-come-firsts
served basis. Students who are unable to make it to school early enough to
reserve a desk for themselves before class sessions either perch their
colleagues on what should be mono desks or embrace the discomfort that comes
with sitting on the improvised seat, a pile of wooden boards.
Academic
work does not only grind to a halt at the sight of clouds (now a regular
feature in this rainy season), because of the collapsing structure, part of
which has been ripped off already, but the pupil numbering 129 return to school
after every downpour to meet drenched desks and an ardours task of draining
water from their classroom and drying the desks before classes begin.
As a
result of the reduced contact hours and many such factors, pass rate in the
Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has sunk to 15%.
Apart
from the kindergarten block which was recently build by MiDA, the primary
section which has a population of 219 is also housed in a decrepit structure
built in 1957.
Designated danger zones within the classrooms
A
number of the beams and rafters with which the JHS structure has been roofed
have rotten and are loosely hanging on top of the class. Because of this,
portions of the classrooms have been designated as danger zones where students
have been barred from sitting as a measure to make room for the fall.
Sun
rays also hit the class directly, compelling students to keep relocating along in
the direction of the shade.
Pass rate in BECE
Academic
performance is on a sharp decline year after year. In 2013, the school
presented a total of 31 pupils for the examination and recorded 59% pass rate.
The following year, it presented 28 pupils and had 35.8% and in 2015, 26 were
presented and it recorded 15% pass rate, confirming not only a reduced
enrolment but a noticeably sharp decline in academic performance.
In
2014, the best students left school with aggregate 28 while in 2015, the
overall best had grade 30.
Two
years ago (2014), the school came 49th in the BECE ranking of the 60 schools in
the municipality and this further dropped to 61st out of 64 schools ranked in
2015, thus trailing a number of schools in the villages (typical rural
communities).
Due
to the unfriendly nature of the collapsing structure (which has no access ramp
for persons with disability), 21 year old Zokli Isaac who rides in a wheelchair
to school is hand-lifted in and out of the classroom by his able-bodied
colleagues.
He
told the Daily Graphic that due to the nagging feeling of being a burden on his
colleagues, his movement is restricted and largely remains indoors once he
steps into the classroom. He is often alone in the classroom during break
because he prefers to eat in there rather than being carried in and out.
“It’s
a daily and an unpleasant reminder of my disability, unlike my colleagues who
move around unaided, but I am quite determined to complete school and move up”,
he said.
Head teacher’s appeal
Briefing
the Daily Graphic, the head teacher of the school, Mr. Prosper Elolo Adikpe
said both teachers and pupils have become apprehensive, given the calamity that
befell a sister school, Odumase Presby (which had a similarly weak structure) a
couple of years ago, leading to the death of a pupil.
He
indicated that letters have been served the supervisory institutions and
stakeholders like the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Municipal Assembly and
the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) but to no avail.
In
the latest of such letters, sighted by the Daily Graphic, dated May 25, 2016
and addressed to the Chief Executive of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal
Assembly, copied to the Education Director, the school’s challenges including
the state of the structure were enumerated.
The
school has also extended its appeal to other firms and philanthropists
including GHACEM Ltd. but none has yielded any positive result as yet. He
called for a quick intervention to save the situation.
An old student’s intervention
An old
student of the school, Dr. Stephen Manortey, Head of the Biostatistics
Department of the Ensign College of Public Health, Kpong initiated the
construction of a new unit but that has also stalled at the footing level due
to what he described as the uncooperative posture from the church and assembly.
“It’s
sad to say, but I feel deflated”, he emphasized.
PTA’s involvement
A
self-help initiative by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to levy the
former to purchase more desks has not helped either. Out of the over 100
parents who were each levied GHC 20 last year out of consensus, only two have
paid so far.
“The
school is seriously handicapped”, Rev. Joseph Akwetey, the PTA chairman told
the Daily Graphic.
Response from the other stakeholders
When
contacted, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Ebenezer Okletey
Terlabie indicated that he had personally tried to intervene but realized the
cost was too huge to shoulder alone. “I am looking at supporting with my social
fund when approved”, he added.
While
the Education Directorate didn’t seem to have an idea of the condition of the
school, the Chief Executive of the Municipality was also not readily available
to comment on the development.
Health hazard
The
pupils and teachers are also caught up in the combined stench that emanates
from a public toilet and communal refuse dump which are all located on the
compound of the school.
They
said their plight get worse during the rainy season because the poignant odour
saturates the entire environment to compound their predicament. They are
therefore appealing for a relocation of the two from the compound.
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