Sylvia M. Letcher-Teye is Kinbu SHS headmistress
Kinbu Senior High School, nestled in the heart of Tudu, Accra, is surrounded by the vibrant pulse of commerce.
From dusk to dawn, traders and market women flood the area, calling out to customers and engaging in brisk business. But for the school’s headmistress, Sylvia M. Letcher-Teye, this daily hustle has become more than just background noise. It is now a growing crisis.
In a desperate bid to secure space for trade, many market women and men have turned the school’s entrance into an unofficial ‘shopping centre’.
The noise emanating from this market square has become unbearable for students, and it is gradually affecting their academic performance.
The reason is simple! They are unable to concentrate in class.
Unfortunately, this is not the only challenge faced by both students and school management.
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According to the headmistress, the battle is no longer just about books and discipline, but about reclaiming the school’s physical space and dignity.
During a recent visit by Korle Klottey MP, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the headmistress disclosed that the market traders have turned the school compound into a dumpsite.
She recounted how the school had to pay GH¢800 to clear a heap of rubbish from the compound. This amount, she said, was an unbudgeted expense.
The headmistress further accused the market women of urinating in and around the school premises, a situation she strongly condemned.
“We suggested to the community members that, at the very least, they should leave the frontage of the school for us, so we can have some sanity around here. They are contributing to our problems,” she told the Korle Klottey MP.
“When they collect their fees, they dump their rubbish into our compound. Every Monday, I call the unit committee member, Fataw, to come and inspect what is happening. There was a time we had to call someone to come and collect the refuse, and we spent over GH¢800 doing so,” the headmistress added.
In response, the Korle Klottey MP urged the headmistress to submit a formal petition detailing the problems faced by the school for swift action to be taken.
“If you don’t mind petitioning me as your Member of Parliament, please do so. There’s a huge security dimension to this, and it goes beyond your personal safety. There’s a lot happening. Please do this as soon as you can,” Dr. Zanetor stated.
SA/EB
Watch the video below:
@the1957news [Recorded Earlier- 6th August, 2025] : Headmistress of Kinbu Senior High Schools calls for the eviction of Market Women from the frontage of the school citing cases of refuse dumping into the school, noise making and other concerns. She made this plea to the MP for Korle Klottey during her visit to the school after the unfortunate stäbbǐñğ of a student a week earlier. #the1957news ♬ original sound – The1957News
Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s upcoming documentary on teenage girls and how fish is stealing their futures below:
