The problem of school children sitting on bare floor in classrooms especially in the northern part of the country is far from over.
Pupils of Sumbrungu-Kulbia Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region lie flat on the dirty bare floor to write because they are without furniture.
And those who could not sit or lie on the floor have to lean against the walls to aid them to learn.
When GBC’s Radio Ghana visited the school, teachers were also seen finding it difficult to move freely in the classrooms to supervise the work of the children because of the lack of space in the classrooms due to the nature of the sitting arrangements.
Sumbrungu-Kulbia is a farming community in the Bolgatanga Municipality with a population of about five thousand.
In this community, poverty is more than visible. The visibly worried residents, who are predominantly farmers, are expressing fears that their wards will not get the right tuition if government fails to come to their aid.
The Kulbia Primary School is fortunate to have about thirteen trained teachers. Some of the teachers, who spoke to GBC24 in an interview on condition of anonymity, said the pupils do not only develop waist problems as a result of lying down to learn, but they also contract other opportunistic diseases.
The lives of the pupils are in danger as their three-classroom block has completely deteriorated and hangs loosely on broken pillars. It is feared that the block, built over 40 years ago, exposes the lives of the pupils and their teachers to danger since it could collapse any moment.
The structure, which has not seen any renovation since it was built, has developed cracks on the walls and all the pillars that hold it together have developed deep cracks, leaving it on the verge of collapse. The situation interrupts classes as school authorities are compelled to bring classes to a close whenever it rains.
Inside the classrooms are visible deep cracks on the walls and deep holes on the floor. The situation, which has exposed the lives of the pupils to danger needs immediate intervention to avert any possible loss of lives should the building collapse at any given time.
A Youth Activist in the Upper East Region, Elias Ayimbila Apasiya, who is a resident of the area, describes the situation as unacceptable. He emphasized that education is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future.
According to him, with this in mind, it is no wonder successive governments and many people in positions of power stress the importance of making sure that every Ghanaian has access to quality education.
Mr. Ayimbila Apasiya said in as much as its importance is stressed, however, one cannot receive a proper education without the right resources. He expressed worry about the situation and called on benevolent organisations and for that matter government to come to their aid.
The Assemblyman of Kulbila Electoral Area, Gabriel Amitoriba, said the pupils are over four hundred and thirty.
He said the dilapidated structure of the 3-unit classroom block and the lack of furniture is affecting teaching and learning.
According to Mr. Amitoriba, all efforts made to get the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly to work on the dilapidated building and also help the school with furniture have proved futile.
Story by GBC’s Samuel Ayammah.
