Management of Koforidua Secondary Technical school (SECTECH) has written to the Eastern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service requesting a temporal closure of the school for the pit latrine facilities to be emptied.
The toilet facilities on campus are full worsening the unsanitary condition and exposing students to health risks.
However, it can only be dislodged through manual means. Usually, the management of the school hires people from the community to enter the toilet to use a bucket to scoop the fecal matter to bury on campus.
It takes days for the exercise to be completed.
The process emits a pungent stench that pollutes air quality on campus and attracts a swarm of flies.
More worrying, is the fact that the school’s kitchen, dining hall, and canteen are closer to the main toilet facility increasing the risk of food contamination by the swarm of flies that fly on campus as a result of the dislodging of the latrines hence request for temporal closure of the double to safeguard the health of the students.
A source at the Eastern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service said management is yet to decide on the request by the school as its awaits advice from the Director General.
A visit by Obed Kojo Ansah a senior Journalist in Koforidua observed horrible conditions never imagined on the pedestal of a grade “A” senior high school like Koforidua SECTECH.
The toilet facilities have been littered with feces and papers used by the students.
No dustbin was erected on the latrines for students to drop off the used toilet paper.
The stench was so nauseating that five minutes could not be spent on the facility.
“The condition of the toilet is very terrible The stench alone is nauseating. I, for instance, had never used a pit latrine before at home so I was finding it so difficult to use the facility but I have no option so I mostly hang on the hole I don’t squat ” a student lamented.
“You have to remove your uniform and singlet before you enter the toilet facility because the stench will smear your body to the extent that if you enter the classroom everybody will notice you visited the story. This is so bad “. A student met coming out from the toilet said.
The headmaster of the School, Ofori Antwi, neither confirmed nor denied the letter written to GES requesting the closure of the school.
He said management is aware of the poor conditions of latrines in the school but efforts are being made to address them.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
