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Rural education and its problems: Piigu and Disega pupils forced to sleep on the floor due to inadequate furniture

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Article 38(1) of the 1992 constitution says that the state shall provide educational facilities at all levels, and in all regions of Ghana, and shall to the greatest extent feasible, make those facilities available to all citizens.

However, this is not reflective enough of what is actually happening in the country’s remotest areas although students there compete with students in urban areas for equal opportunities and spaces at the various Senior High Schools.

Schools in Ghana’s remote areas suffer not only infrastructure deficit but also are challenged with human resources to help impart knowledge to the students who enroll in these schools.

Located in the Savelugu District off the Bolgatanga-Tamale road is Disega Community Primary School. The school was established by Abdul, a resident of the area who decided to help children in his community get access to basic education because the nearest school is three miles distance.

Desega school
Desega school

The school which was established in 2014 is housed under a single shed and houses three formative year classes including Nursery, KG, Class 1, 2 and 3. The shed is divided into three classes that use two blackboards.

WhatsApp Image 2017-04-06 at 14.17.28 (3)

For the lack of furniture, pupils from this school come along with kitchen stools from their homes and with those who do not have? They perch their colleagues or sit on the floor to access education. There are few tables in the school which are used by the senior class. With the lack of furniture to keep the few books available to Abdul, he keeps them in his traveling bag which serves as the school’s cupboard.

One fascinating thing about the school is that children here bring their young siblings along to cater for them while their parents are away on the farm.

Pupil brings sibling to school

Abdul, who serves as the teacher and the Headteacher of the school mentions that “the school is dear to me because it is the only way I can help my community. These children pay two cedis each month but even that they do not pay. I believe education can turn our fortunes around as a people but we lack the infrastructure. Students from this school continue in Piigu Primary/JHS in the next village when they get to class four but truth is, for the past year, none of the students continue after class three because they want to prevent been knocked down by a car.”

Abdul
Abdul

Abdul is willing to give his school out to the government and believes that the provision of infrastructure, stationery and other teaching and learning materials will put the school on a solid footing.

PIIGU PRIMARY/JHS SUFFERING SIMILAR FATE

At the Piigu Primary/JHS where pupils who graduate from Dsega Community Primary school continue their basic education, the story is no different. Although there are classroom blocks, students in this school lie on their bellies on the floor during class hours because there is no furniture.  For this reason, the uniforms of students are unkempt and look dirty even on Mondays.

student on the ground

The school is under-resourced with human resources. Teachers here have to combine at least three classes in order to serve all the classes in the school.  Teachers in the school were not willing to talk to the news team upon our arrival at the school.

students on the ground
students on the ground

Until these schools in the two communities are provided the needed resources, the saying that the younger ones are the future leaders could not become a reality for students from these communities who have to endure these sour conditions to access education.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/a1radioonline.com/Ghana


 

 

 

 

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