By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Some basic schools at Asuofua in the Atwima Nwabiagya North district of the Ashanti region have been closed down, while teaching and learning in others have been severely disrupted.
The problem has been occasioned by a rainstorm that has collapsed some of the classroom blocks, with other blocks having their roofs either completely or partially ripped off, rendering the structures uninhabitable.
GBC’s Ashanti Regional Correspondent Nicholas Osei-Wusu reports that academic and extracurricular activities could be worse hampered if duty bearers do not attend to the situation within the shortest possible time ahead of the onset of the major rainy season, which is expected anytime in March.
The Asuofua D/A Cluster of Schools at Asuofua in the Atwima Nwabiagya district in the Ashanti region comprises four sets of basic schools each made up of Pre-School, Primary and Junior High Schools of Blocks ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’.
The schools found sharing the same geographical environment have a cumulative pupil population of about three thousand.
Heavy rains in the evening of Tuesday, February 13th, 2024, accompanied by a storm, led to some of the school blocks being damaged in various ways, either as a result of falling trees or could not withstand the strong wind. Some classrooms in the primary section of Block ‘A’ have now developed deep cracks, rendering those buildings now death traps.
Some classrooms and offices at the Junior High School also at Block ‘A’ have had their roofs completely ripped off, rendering those classrooms and offices unfit for purpose, at least for now.
Teachers were seen working in the open while official stationery as well as pupils’ text and exercise books, which got soaked by the rain, were being dried in the sun as some of the pupils scavenged for what could be salvaged from the vestige.
The situation was more serious at the Block ‘D’ section, where some of the classrooms had had their roofs partially ripped off, exposing the rooms to the direct vagaries of the weather.
Schoolchildren were seen vacating the affected classrooms for safety.
The most devastation was recorded at another JHS block of classrooms, which had totally collapsed, requiring an overhaul and urgent attention to restore teaching and learning.
GBCNews caught up with the Assembly Member, Michael Osei Kwaku, and some members of the Unit Committee of the Asuofua-Asaamang Electoral Area who had visited the scene to acquaint themselves with the extent of the devastation.
The Assembly Member observed, “disaster offers the stakeholders a unique opportunity to re-consider redesigning the structures to suit modern demands.”
Mr. Osei Kwaku appealed to members of the public and state actors to help rebuild the damaged buildings to restore teaching and learning in the school.
The headmistress of Block ‘A’ JHS, Mrs. Charity Nseibo, who conducted GBC News around the scene, disclosed that some of the affected primary schools have been temporarily closed down for the safety of the pupils while efforts are being made to repair the damages.
The Headmistress expressed the fear that “the situation could be worse and school activities severely impaired very soon when the rains set in if the stakeholders do not intervene immediately”.
In an interim measure, apart from the temporary closure of some of the primary schools in the cluster, pupils from the damaged JHS classrooms have been distributed among those unaffected, while others have resorted to shady trees for academic work.
The situation has worsened the already overpopulated classrooms, thereby compromising effective teaching and learning.
Teachers and the pupils are also now enduring unbearable heat.
The need for an urgent intervention by the Ghana Education Service (GES), Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly, and the central government in this situation cannot be overemphasised.
