Reports reaching 3news.com indicate that about 150 Primary 6 pupils who have been promoted to Junior High Schools (JHSs) at Goo-Atandaa Primary School in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region are likely to drop out this academic year due to a directive from the Ghana Education Service (GES).
According to authorities, the GES upon inspecting the school’s infrastructure decided to decline its request to start a Junior High School.
According to the inspectorate body, the school is without adequate infrastructure to accommodate its first batch of JHS students.
Currently, pupils from kindergarten to Primary 6 learn in open space, under trees and a few others shelter at a church building closer to the school.
Through the intervention of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), an eight-unit classroom room block has been under construction for the past two-and-a-half years though it is currently at roofing level.
The school authorities wanted the pioneer JHS students to be accommodated in the uncompleted structure but GES declined their request, saying they cannot risk the lives of the school children in the harsh weather.
Most of the students have thus been left to the fate of travelling far distances to nearby communities with JHSs, a situation that makes some dropout.
Explaining the situation, parents and teachers of Goo-Atandaa Primary School says about 80 percent of the new JHS students are likely to drop out from school and this will affect the efforts they have put in bringing them this far.
They are, therefore, appealing to all stakeholders and NGOs as well as philanthropists to come to the aid of the school to help complete the uncompleted school block to enable the children to have a Junior High School.
Source: 3news.com
