E/R: Displaced pupils use rocks as classroom

About one hundred and twenty pupils and nine teachers of Akotoklo-Gua D/A Primary School in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region have been left stranded by the collapse of their bamboo-shed classroom structure.

The teachers and pupils got to school Monday only to see the entire structure floored by a rainstorm that hit the farming community.

The displaced pupils were spotted sitting on rocks which have been serving as “staff common room for their teachers” for years.

The Headteacher of the school, Joseph Teye Nyarko told Starr News, the district Education Director has been informed about the incident. He warned that the school will close down if the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the district fails to immediately intervene.

Akotoklo-Gua D/A Primary School was established in 2005 by the Community in collaboration with the GES in their quest to get formal education to children in the area who shunned schooling due to the long distance they would have to trek.

An abandoned small Church building in deplorable condition was used to start the school and later, a mud made pavilion and bamboo shed were built to accommodate the growing population.

The floored bamboo-shed classroom structure.
In February 2018, Starr FM reported about the collapse of the school’s bamboo shed, compelling the Upper Manya District Assembly to cut the sod for the construction of a six-unit classroom block for the school but the project had stalled at the footing stage.

Akotoklo-Gua D/A School serves children from at least four farming communities in the area but faces many challenges.

The environment and classrooms of the school are always invaded by snakes and other dangerous reptiles posing risk to the pupils.

The school has no toilet and washroom hence pupils and teachers defecate in the bush at the peril of encountering reptiles.

The woefully inadequate teaching and learning materials in the school have been chronic problem teachers have been grappling with for years.

Teachers at Akotoklo-Gua D/A School trek about four miles to School every day due to absent of teachers’ accommodation compelling some of them to secure loans to purchase motorbikes.

 

Source: Starrfmonline