Mr Fiagbenu Guggisberg, Assembly Member for the Adidome Central Electoral Area in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, has drawn the attention of Government and relevant stakeholders to infrastructural and logistical challenges affecting some basic schools in the area.
He said the Adidome D/A R.C. Basic School, particularly its Kindergarten section, which serves about 810 pupils, required urgent attention to improve safety and enhance effective teaching and learning.
Mr Guggisberg noted that the school faced a shortage of furniture, which affected classroom comfort and effective lesson delivery.
He also said the school’s existing toilet facility had deteriorated and required urgent attention. The Ghana News Agency (GNA), upon investigation, observed that there was available land within the school premises suitable for the construction of a new sanitation facility should Government or development partners provide support.
GNA further gathered that the current toilet facility was in such a state that some teachers were compelled to leave the school premises to access washroom facilities elsewhere when the need arose.
Mr Guggisberg also mentioned that parts of the kindergarten block experienced leakages during rainfall, resulting in water entering classrooms and disrupting academic activities.
The Assembly Member further indicated that the Adidome D.A. Basic School is also experiencing shortages of desks and other essential furniture, washroom facility, which limited the comfort of pupils and teachers during lessons.
He also spoke about challenges confronting the Adidome Methodist Kindergarten School, located within the Adidome Central Market and housed in a structure owned by the 31st December Women’s Movement.
According to him, the school required improved furniture, sanitation facilities and a more conducive learning environment to adequately serve children of market women and residents in the area.
He said this would honour the Late Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, convenor of the movement.
Mr Guggisberg explained that the absence of a designated storage facility within the market had occasionally led to the use of parts of the school structure for storage purposes, which affected classroom space and learning activities.
He therefore appealed to the government for the provision of a store or warehouse as part of efforts to give a facelift to the Adidome Central Market so as to support uninterrupted schooling.
The Assembly Member further called for the provision of learning and playing materials, rehabilitation of school infrastructure, restoration of water supply and measures to address the presence of bats and rodents at the facility.
He also appealed to the government and corporate Ghana to support schools in the area to avert these challenges.
Residents in the area, through the Assembly Member, also appealed for swift intervention to improve conditions at the affected schools.
Meanwhile, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) contacted the Volta Regional Director of Education, Mr Francis Y. Agbemadi, who expressed concern about the issues raised and assured of his commitment to engaging the Central Tongu District Chief Executive, Mr Dodzi Addison Mornyuie, and other relevant stakeholders to find practical and lasting solutions.
Mr Agbemadi said improving the learning environment at the basic school level remained a priority for the Ghana Education Service and indicated that steps would be taken to assess the situation and support appropriate interventions within available resources.
GNA, however, observed that the District Director of Education, Madam Happy Tsifokor, by virtue of her position, remains a key stakeholder well placed to provide detailed insights into the specific challenges confronting schools within the district.
Some residents, when contacted by GNA, questioned the pace of response at the district level and urged the District Education Directorate to intensify efforts to address the challenges, in the interest of improving basic education delivery in the area.
Story by Kekeli K Blamey
