The Nzema East Municipal Assembly in the Western Region has cut sod for the construction of a six-unit classroom block expected to be constructed and completed within four months.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Eric Essien, confirmed the construction of the new block during the sod-cutting ceremony.

The Assembly, he said, aims to ensure that the current education infrastructure challenges facing the municipality will be dealt with through the provision of the needed infrastructure in the area.

He said Sika Ne Asem Basic School remains crucial to education development in the Nzema East Municipality in the Western Region, hence the efforts being made to improve infrastructure and other projects required to enhance teaching and learning.

The intervention made by the municipality follows the lack of basic social infrastructure and amenities necessary for the development of young minds.

"The situation of teaching and learning has become very difficult in the cocoa production village," he said.

In an interview, some of the teachers at the school confirmed they were worried about the present situation and indicated that something ought to be done by the government to improve infrastructure and, at the same time, enhance teaching and learning in the school.

The teachers complained bitterly about the current state of the school, despite the frantic efforts being made by teachers to impact lives.

They believe the current dilapidated structure poses a danger to the lives of both teachers and pupils.

According to the teachers, the school usually closes anytime it rains due to the poor state of the classroom blocks.

In addition, the inadequate number of teachers in the school, they noted, also affects teaching and learning, as the few teachers often combine classes to teach, therefore denying the pupils a quality teaching and learning environment.

Responding to these challenges as part of measures to put an end to the suffering of both teachers and pupils, the municipality has vowed to meet the timeline for the execution of the project.

In terms of the lack of teachers, the MCE observed that due to the lack of a telecommunication network in the densely populated cocoa farming area with over twelve thousand people, teachers posted to the community often leave unceremoniously due to the absence of these social amenities.

The few teachers currently working in the community, therefore, constantly have to combine classes to teach the pupils.

The MCE, Eric Essien, also hinted that the lack of teachers' quarters continues to discourage those being posted to the community to teach.