Correspondence from Western Region

Pupils at Bentelebo community school in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region are calling on government and philanthropists to help construct new classroom blocks for the school.

A visit to Bentelebo community school by GhanaWeb revealed that teaching and learning are being affected due to the poor status of the school building.

The building which has not seen any major renovation has terribly deteriorated and has become a death trap.

The school was built by community members some years ago with the aim to prevent children in the area not to travel long distances to access education.

Bentelebo is a farming community in Samenye electoral area that produces cocoa and rubber.



Daniel Kaku, GhanaWeb’s regional correspondent observed that portions of the building have collapsed and deep cracks have developed in it, making it unsafe for the pupils.



It becomes a worry whenever there is downpour or heavy wind as the school closes to allow these students go home to prevent any unforeseen occurrences.

Due to the lack of teachers in the school, pupils from KG to class five have been joined in one classroom to be taught.



In an interview with the only teacher in the school, Eric Kwesi, he said the situation was affecting teaching and learning.

He described the current state of the building as a death trap.

He, therefore, begged government as a matter of urgency to come to the aid of the school by constructing a new classroom block for them.



"In fact, where we have gotten to, we need government's help because the building that we are in now has turned into a death trap. If the rain falls right now what I have to do is to close the children so I'm appealing to government to come to our aid,” he said.

"The motto of this school is 'Future Leaders'. These children are our future leaders, some will be doctors, police and other government workers so government needs to help the school. Government should come to our aid by constructing new classroom blocks for us and bring teachers here to help the children to actualize their dreams," he added.

He also appealed to businesses in Jomoro Municipality to come to the aid of the school.



"I will beg companies in Jomoro to also come to our aid by building a new classroom block from KG to primary six for us," he called.

Some of the schoolchildren who spoke to GhanaWeb cried over the situation and appealed to government for new classroom blocks.

"Our classroom is a death trap. Whenever it rains, we go home because we fear the building will collapse on us so we are appealing to government to help us, we want to become great personalities in Ghana but our classroom block is not good at all," they said.



Some parents also said they become worried whenever their children leave for school over fears that the school building will collapse on them.



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