A dilapidated three-unit classroom block at Wuling M/A Basic School in the Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region has forced pupils to study under trees, amid fears that the structure could collapse.
The mud-built block, constructed in 1990, has developed deep cracks and deteriorated to a condition that school authorities consider unsafe for teaching and learning.
The building, which previously accommodated the lower primary classes, has been abandoned, compelling the affected pupils to hold lessons outdoors.
The school’s kindergarten (KG) pupils also study under trees because the department has never had a dedicated classroom facility.
The situation exposes the children to harsh weather conditions and other distractions that disrupt teaching and learning.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times, the Head Teacher of the school, Mr Alfred Mwin-ire Ileku, said rainfall and intense heat frequently interrupted lessons, sometimes forcing their cancellation.
He said appeals to the relevant authorities, including the Jirapa Municipal Education Directorate, had yet to yield any positive response.
Mr Ileku appealed to government agencies, non-governmental organisations and benevolent individuals to support the reconstruction of the unsafe block and provide suitable classrooms for the pupils.
He said the school had a total enrolment of 254 pupils, with only 10 teachers responsible for teaching from KG to the Junior High School (JHS) level.
He added that only two teachers handled the entire JHS department, a situation that fell short of the subject-based teaching approach practised by the Ghana Education Service.
The Assembly Member for the Tuggo Electoral Area, Mr Paul Bamaaka, indicated that he had petitioned the Jirapa Municipal Assembly several times over the school’s infrastructure challenges but was still awaiting a response.
He appealed to corporate organisations, philanthropic bodies and individuals to support the construction of an appropriate classroom block to improve teaching and learning conditions at the school.
FROM EDWARD ADJEI FRIMPONG, WULING
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