By Patience Tawiah, GNA
Nkwanta (O/R), Nov. 12, GNA-Kojoheneba M/A Basic School in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region is facing severe infrastructural and logistical challenges, compelling school authorities to call for immediate support from the government, the Municipal Assembly, non-governmental organisations and philanthropists.
The quality of education depends not only on effective teaching but also on the availability of safe classrooms, furniture, and teaching and learning materials.
However, these essential requirements remain largely unavailable at this school, making teaching and learning extremely difficult for both teachers and pupils.
The school, which was established several years ago, lacks adequate classrooms, furniture, chalkboards, and other basic educational materials.
A visit to the area by the Ghana News Agency revealed that some pupils were compelled to study under a makeshift structure, exposed to the mercy of the weather.
Due to the shortage of classrooms, pupils from kindergarten to Class 3 are combined in one classroom, while those from Class 4 to Class Six also share another classroom.
The situation has resulted in overcrowded learning spaces and limited teacher supervision.
The school’s inadequate facilities are further worsened by a shortage of teaching materials and teachers.
In some classrooms, chalkboards have been mounted on tree stumps, creating additional difficulties for teachers and pupils.
Mr Joshua Boafo, the Headteacher, lamented that the lack of classrooms and teaching materials was undermining the quality of education in the school.
He explained that the absence of adequate infrastructure had compelled the school to combine pupils in classrooms without furniture, making it difficult for teachers to effectively deliver lessons and monitor the progress of individual learners.
According to him, the construction of additional classrooms and the provision of furniture and teaching materials would enable teachers to supervise pupils effectively and improve academic outcomes in the community.
The Headteacher therefore appealed to the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly, the government, NGOs, development partners, and individuals to urgently come to the school’s aid.
He also disclosed that the school lacks access to potable water, forcing pupils to depend on unsafe and potentially contaminated water sources.
He said access to clean water remained a major challenge in the community and revealed that he sometimes used part of his personal salary to purchase sachet water for the children.
The Headteacher believes that providing the school with a reliable source of potable water would improve personal hygiene, promote sanitation, and protect pupils from water-related illnesses.
He urged stakeholders to treat the situation as an emergency to ensure that pupils in Kojoheneba receive a safe and conducive environment for learning.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade