Biemso Number Two (Ash), July 26, GNA - The lack of amenities, including accommodation for teachers were contributing seriously to the dismal performance of the Biemso Number Two Junior Secondary School at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Mr. Asamoah Antwi, headteacher of the JSS, who stated this, said for instance that all five teachers of the school stay in Kumasi and commute daily to school.

This was therefore, creating a problem of punctuality to school, which was affecting effective teaching and learning, he said. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Biemso Number Two, Mr. Antwi said the school also lacked mathematics and pre-technical teachers, adding that thieves have also taken advantage of the distance from the school from the town to steal school items.

He said agricultural and technical tools, a set of jerseys and textbooks running into several millions of cedis were among the items stolen from the school.

Mr Antwi, who is also the Ahafo-Ano South district chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), said the school also lacked basic textbooks and that there was only one English language textbook each for JSS one and two, while JSS three had none. This situation coupled with the fact that about 60 per cent of the pupils had to work before and after school to procure their school needs such as exercise books, furniture, pens and other things, all contributed to the poor performance of the pupils.

Mr Antwi, however, commended the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the School Management Committee (SMC), Nana Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Mother of the town and the teachers for their dedication and sacrifices for the school and urged them to continue to assist the school.