General News of Tuesday, 18 February 2020

Source: classfmonline.com

Newly-built Osu Presby Day School awaits inauguration as pupils study in poor wooden classrooms

Newly-built school Newly-built school

A group calling itself the Korle-Klottey Youth Alliance (KKYA) has asked the Minister of Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and the Municipal Chief Executive of Korle-Klottey, Nii Adjei Tawiah, to, as a matter of urgency, inaugurate the newly-constructed Osu Presby Day School building for use.

In a statement signed by Nii Otenkorang Ankrah, Executive Director of KKYA, the group said the new school building was put up three years ago after an old one was demolished, with the sole aim to provide more classrooms to increase enrolment of pupils.

“This has, however, not been done and the pupils have been put in a make-shift wooden structure for the past four years. The wooden structure is not in the best of shape and, therefore, does not help learning activities. The classrooms of the wooden structure are very warm, which make the pupils perspire a lot during the afternoons and there is no adequate storage area where books and other stationery can be kept. Also, a teachers’ common room is not available, therefore, making teachers stranded when they have no lessons.

“The new building has all these facilities and more but has been allowed to go waste. A building not utilised or not used will start having cracks in it and another money will then be given for renovation.

“The building was put up with the taxpayers’ money to improve education in the Korle-Klottey municipality, therefore, as members of the Korle-Klottey Youth Alliance, we deem it fit that the facility is opened to the pupils so it is put to its intended use.

“The purpose of the building will be defeated if the pupils are allowed to stay in the wooden structure and not allowed to use the facility. We do not want to read any meanings into the reason for its continuous closure; we, therefore, plead with the authorities to have the school opened and the pupils moved from the wooden structure into the newly-built school complex”, the group noted.



It added: “Osu Presby Day School has a long and cherished history as one of the earliest schools built by the Basel missionaries in Osu; as such, we, members of the Korle-Klottey Youth Alliance, many of whom had the privilege to attend the school, which has also produced notable personalities in Osu and for the nation at large, cannot sit aloof and watch the school closed.



“We are, therefore, by this press statement, informing the Minister of Education, Mathew Opoku Prempeh and the Korle Klottey Municipal chief executive, Nii Adjei Tawiah, to commission the building to allow the pupils study in a conducive environment.”