Assemblyman solicits accommodation for teachers

Kendau, (UW/R), May 2, GNA – Lack of accommodation for teachers at basic schools in Kendau Electoral Area in the Wa West District is adversely affecting quality academic activities.

Mr Jerry Olo, the Assemblyman for the area, who expressed concern about the challenge in an interview with the GNA, had appealed to government and development partners to help build teachers’ accommodation for the area.

Mr Olo said the teachers had to travel from Wa or Wechiau to the schools on daily basis because of the lack of accommodation in the communities, leading to fewer contact hours between the teachers and school children as well as unnecessary teacher absenteeism.

He noted that four out of the five communities that made up the electoral area had schools, but only Kendau could boast of a four-bedroom teachers’ accommodation.

He appealed to the district assembly, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, development partners and benevolent individuals and organisations to help provide accommodation for teachers in the communities to help improve academic activities.

“The teachers are staying in Wechiau and Wa and by the time the teachers get to the school, time is already gone and they cannot teach the children well. Even the rooms are not there (at the communities) for the teachers to rent and stay,” Mr Olo explained.

He identified the lack of classrooms for Kindergarten (KG) children at Kau as another impediment as the KG and primary one children were combined in a single classroom, saying, “because of this the children are not encouraged to go to school”.

“When you go to Gborteng, it’s the community that built classrooms for the children, but because there is no accommodation for teachers, they don’t usually want to go there.

“The children cannot also go to the school at Lassie, which is the nearest, because during the rainy season the community is cut off from Lassia,” the Assembly Member explained.

Mr Olo expressed hope that the district assembly and the District Education Directorate would take the necessary steps to improve education in the electoral area, as that was a key component of national development.

GNA