General News of Saturday, 8 September 2007

Source: GNA

Half Assini Secondary school, a death trap

Half Assini (W/R), Sept. 8, GNA- The Half Assini Senior Secondary School is in a deplorable state and needs immediate attention to avoid a Disaster.

Efforts would have to be made to relocate the student population and rehabilitate the entire school before school re-opens in September this year.

A visit to the school by pressmen on Friday revealed that apart from the ceilings and the assembly hall roofs falling off, there were a lot of exposed electrical cables hanging loosely in the various classrooms and the boy's dormitory. The painting in the classrooms had peeled off while the few ceiling fans in the classrooms were rotten and handing loosely and dangerously. Exposed iron rods on the veranda rails and supporting pillars were a common sight and the entire school looked dilapidated. To prevent any catastrophe, Mr. Kwodwo E. Edjah, Headmaster of the school decided to stop using the assembly hall until funds were released for the renovation works. He said the school holds its assembly sessions in the open to prevent any plywood from falling and injuring a student while the boy's dormitory was also re-located to another building to safeguard their lives.

Mr. Edjah said the introduction of the senior high school concept could also suffer because the school would not be able to admit more students when school re-opened.

He said the school had in the midst of the problems constructed a new kitchen fitted with gas cylinders, while rehabilitation works were ongoing in the boy's dormitory. Mr. Edjah said the school had managed to paint the administration block, while the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) had also painted the girls dormitory.

He appealed to the GETFUND and other institutions to come to the aid of the school to enable it groom the youth for the future.