E/R: Pupils sit on blocks in uncompleted classroom; teachers bungalow abandoned

Pupils of Aboabo M/A Basic School near Adawso in Akuapem North Municipality in the Eastern Region sit on slabs put on cement blocks to study in an uncompleted classroom due to inadequate desks.

The school, with a population of about 112 pupils does not have desks hence pupils improvise by sitting on wooden slabs laid on blocks as chairs while others sit on a few deteriorated desks.

Teachers also do not have tables and Chairs hence stand throughout to teach and Mark exercises in a bizarre posture.

It is instructive to note that, the pupils learn in a dusty uncompleted classroom block abandoned for 15 years.

“The classroom block has been in existence for the past 15 years now and nothing has been done about it. For some time, the children were in the pavilion until about three months ago they put up the roofing but we are having challenges with regards to furniture for teachers and pupils. We don’t have Windows and doors so when it rains we don’t have any option than to close the Pupils and it is really affecting academic work”, the Headteacher Ebenezer Adjetey Sowah told Starr News.

A teacher’s bungalow started by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and reached 80% completion stage almost 15 years ago has also been abandoned while teachers trek miles to school.

Teachers sometimes become stranded whenever there is a downpour as the only road to the community becomes unmotorable.

“We have a bungalow which has been left for almost 15 years. It was started by JICA. They started and left so for now nothing has been done to it. Most of the teachers come from Koforidua to teach here and by the time they come here they are tired and exhausted,” The Headteacher added.

The situation he said is affecting the delivery of education.

Aboabo No.1 & 2 are both farming communities and are among the main food basket Communities in the municipality. However, the lack of basic social amenities impoverishes the residents.

Roads from Akuapem Adawso to Aboabo No.1 & 2 to Mangoase continue to deteriorate making it difficult for farmers to transport their farm produce to market centres.

A visit to the community saw some young men salvaging the deplorable road worsened by a heavy downpour to enable vehicles and motorbikes to cross to transport food to the market centre at Akuapem Adawso.

The Chief of Aboabo, Nene Tetteh Djani II said the poor road network is affecting agriculture in the community.

“Our road is in a deplorable state affecting Agriculture. The road is our pressing need because these are farming communities so we are unable to even transport our farm produce. The rains have worsened the situation”

“One other challenge is the Teachers quarters that has been abandoned. Many of the teachers live in Adawso so even whenever it rains they are unable to come to school,” the chief lamented

The Queen-mother, Ya Appaw II, told Starr News, pregnant women struggle to attend antenatal care due to the poor nature of the road.

“Because of the poor nature of the road, Okada is the available means of transport. You can imagine a pregnant woman on a motorbike going to the hospital. It is sad, sometimes not all sick people are even able to sit on the motorbike.”

One other major problem that confronted Aboabo No.1 & 2 was the lack of safe drinking water. Residents depended on polluted streams, however, Harriet Afriyie Foundation and Rev. Owusu Bempah have constructed water facilities for both communities.