The District Chief Executive for Upper Manya Krobo Joe Sam has ignored the conventional practice of commissioning a school building before teachers and pupils are allowed to use it.
This follows a directive by the DCE for a completed six units classroom block built for Akotoklo-Gua Basic School awaiting official handing over by the contractor then subsequently a Commissioning to be opened for use.
The DCE who recently assumed office noticed during his working visit to the Akotoklo Community that pupils were learning under trees and perilously dilapidated buildings while the completed classroom block was locked.
The DCE took the keys from the contractor and handed them for use by pupils and teachers.
According to the DCE, Joe Sam, it was insensitive for the pupils to learn under trees amidst torrential falls while the fully furnished completed classroom block remained closed awaiting commissioning.
The DCE stated that one of his topmost priorities is the improvement of academic performance in the district through quality education delivery hence will invest heavily in the sector to achieve this objective which dovetails into the broader vision of President Akufo Addo.
The construction of the six-unit classroom Block for Akotoklo-Gua Basic School became fruition following consistent publication by Obed Ansah, an Eastern region-based Journalist about the perilous state of the school.
In 2019 for instance, the Pupils were compelled to write their end-of-term examination on rocks due to the lack of desks and classrooms.
The pupils either lay on their bellies or knelt to write on the rocks while others wrote on their laps. This is usually accompanied by complaints of body aches by the pupils.
Exams papers were intermittently carried away by the wind disrupting the examination process.
Akotoklo-Gua Primary School operated in a dilapidated bamboo shed and mud-made pavilion classrooms since its establishment in the 50s.
The bamboo classroom collapsed whenever there were storms but was reelected by the Community.
On March 24, 2019, a heavy rainstorm flooded the bamboo shed classrooms, displacing about 120 pupils.
This unresolved situation forced the school to write an end-of-term examination on some huge rocks under trees used as classrooms.
One other thing observed was that even though there were about nine (9) teachers in the school eager to impart knowledge but no teaching and learning materials to aid in this pursuit.
Computers for ICT practicals were nonexistent yet pupils of Akotoklo were taking ICT examination during the visit expected to write from imagination.
These challenges manifested in pupils’ inability to read and write. It was therefore not surprising that teachers had to read and explain examination questions to pupils before they could tick or answer.
The Head teacher of Akotoklo-Gua, Joseph Nyarko is optimistic that, having fixed the infrastructural and furniture crises that confronted the school, academic performance will be improved particularly when the other needed teaching and learning materials are provided.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
