The quality of basic school education in parts of the Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region is faced with difficult challenges due to some infrastructural inadequacies.
The infrastructural challenges at the T.I Ahmadiyya Cluster of Schools have led to teachers and pupils having to engage in their activities in a highly hostile environment.
Teachers, students and management staff of the school have observed that these conditions were driving down the quality of results produced at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
They therefore, appeal to all benevolent individuals and organisations to help put the facility in good shape.
A visit to the schools by A1 Radio’s Upper West Regional Correspondent showed that the teaching and learning activities were taking place in poorly lit classrooms which made reading from the blackboard an excessively difficult task for the students, particularly those who sit behind.
Teachers also mentioned that they were often compelled to abandon their lessons whenever it rained because of several leakages from the metal roofing of most of the classrooms.
They added that noise created by the rains hitting the metal roofing made it near impossible to communicate effectively.
It was also observed that the schools had no designated kitchens or storerooms and several broken and rundown furniture were spotted in the various classrooms.
Despite the fear of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing, children still had to share tiny desks or benches.
Teachers have been left to the mercy of the weather as there is no proper structure that they can use as their Staff Common Rooms.
Girls Prefect for the T.I Ahmadiyya Primary ‘A’ said the situation was unbearable.
“Our Teachers are not having textbooks to teach us in the school. When we are in the classroom and it is raining, the rain passes through the roofing and falls in the classroom so the students cannot learn while it is raining.” She lamented.
According to the Head Teacher of the T.I Ahmadiyya Primary ‘A’, Muhammed Arkib, “It is hard to find most of our business men coming to help the region. If you go to the community-based schools, they have produced all the big names you can find in the country. However, everyone is lamenting about the poor academic standards of these schools and it is unfortunate. If today, you are able to send your child to a prestigious school, it is because of the efforts of your teachers and the community-based schools put in you.”
The many concerns of the schools have however not gone unnoticed.
Ussuya Company Limited, a construction firm based in Accra, has donated 200 mono desks worth over GHS40,000 to the schools.
Presenting the furniture on behalf of Ussuya Company Limited, Rafiq Salam said the donation was in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility.
Aside the desks, he said the company was also preparing to hand over tables and chairs for the teachers to allow them have some level of comfort while in school.
Ussuya Compant Limited has in the past contributed to the well-being of persons in the Upper West Region.
The company has donated in excess of GHS300,000 worth of sanitary materials and equipment to help fight COVIJD-19 in the region.
The T.I Ahmadiyya Cluster of Schools at Wa is located off the Wa – Kumasi Highway.
It is made up of the T.I Ahmadiyya Primary and JHS ‘A’, T.I Ahmadiyya Primary and JHS ‘B’, T.I Ahmadiyya Girls Primary and the T.I Ahmadiyya Girls JHS. The schools have a student population of about 500.
Source: A1Radioonline.com| 101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith| Ghana
