Correspondence from Northern Region:
Jimli AME Primary School in the Mion constituency in the Northern Region faces numerous challenges including inadequate classrooms, leaks from the roofs, untarred floors, furniture problems amongst others.
Speaking to the Assistant Headteacher of the school, Mr Amadu Haruna, he explained that the inadequate classrooms have forced them to combine pupils in KG(1) and (2).
He added that portions of the school block have also been ripped off by the strong wind, making it difficult for classes to go on during the rainy season.
“If you are in a classroom and it's about to rain, you have to stop teaching and move the children to a corner where they will be safe because the water will enter into the class," he told GhanaWeb's Northern Regional Correspondent, Abdur Rashid.
Mr Haruna also cited lack of furniture as a problem the school faces, and as a result, the pupils sit on the bare floor to study. This according to him exposes the children to some form of respiratory diseases.
He similarly lamented on the lack of locks for the classrooms which the residents in the community often take advantage of, by jumping over the walls into the classroom to engage in all manner of acts.
Mr Haruna however, revealed that the school has drawn the Ghana Education Service (GES) attention to the problems through the annual reports they submit to GES but they have not heard any response from them.
He again added that they have also been in touch with the assemblyman of the area who has assured them that their concerns will be forwarded to the District Assembly but they have not seen any response from them.
“I am appealing to authorities, NGOs, and philanthropists to come to our aid. Looking at the condition of which the children are studying is unpleasant and it's affecting teaching and learning in the school."
Reacting to the concerns, the assemblyman for the area said: “We have approved the budgets for 2021 and (2) classroom block has been earmarked for that purpose. Also, efforts are been made to get the old block renovated."