Dilapidated Kusanaba Vocational School on the verge of collapse

Story by Isaac Asare

Collapsed roofing left hanging

Despite efforts by government to provide decent classroom accommodation to existing schools in deprived communities of the country, most schools in the Upper East Region still lack basic infrastructure to effectively enhance academic work. 

One of such schools is the Kusanaba Vocational institute located in the Bawku West District. existing structures at the school have become a death trap for students and is on the verge of collapse.  

The only four unit classroom block that accommodates second and third year students could collapse anytime as the entire building which is without any ceiling has virtually ripped off with portions hanging. 

This is at the detriment of the students, whose lives are in danger due to the dilapidated nature of the building. 

The situation is posing a serious threat to students who fear the building may cave in anytime.   

Students studying under the damaged roof

Condition of the school's main classroom block

Aside the collapsed roofing, the building had developed serious cracks with the doors and windows almost falling off. 

Moreover, the school is saddled with lack of classroom furniture as well as inadequate training materials. 

The school’s dining hall which is also in a deplorable state lacks tables and chairs with its doors and windows completely taken off.

 Its collapsed ceiling has eventually become a breeding ground for vampire bats, thus compelling students to take their daily meals outside the hall.

 A visit to the school by Radio Ghana, witnessed other structures that are partially damaged. Among them is a two bedroom staff accommodation that has been abandoned due to its level of deterioration. 

Principal of the school, Mr Edmund Atiiga Abanga

Cracked portion of the main classroom accommodation

Sharing his frustration, the Principal of the school, Edmund Atiiga Abanga, said although the roofing of the main classroom block collapsed a long time ago, authorities seem helpless as numerous requests to authorities concerned for support had yielded no positive result.

 He said due to the poor condition of the said infrastructure, authorities of the school at a point declared portions of the classroom a ‘no go area’ for lessons to be taken, but said  it was equally difficult to keep the students away, since they have no other place to accommodate them. 

He said if urgent steps are not taken by authorities concerned to address the challenge, the school will continue to lose its students to other schools because most parents had pulled out their wards  from the  school and got them enrolled in other academic institutions for fear of losing them. 

Nevertheless, students posted to the school through the Computerized Placement System are sometimes turned away due to limited space to accommodate them. 

This is because the single dormitory provided for both boys and girls is far overstretched resulting in serious congestion.  

The situation, he further lamented has compelled some of the students to sleep outside thus compelling authorities to convert some staff bungalows to accommodate the needy ones.

Staff bungalow converted into a girls dormitory 

Girls outside the dormitory for lack of space

 On the other hand, the school commissioned in 1972 now has a student population of over 500 and operates without a single vehicle and a health centre.

 In case of ill health, students are often rushed to the Binaba health centre or the Zebilla district hospital which is 12 miles away from the school for medical attention. 

Mr Abanga stated that although academic work has been hampered by the school’s the infrastructure deficit, it has chalked some tremendous academic successes. 

He said in the 2014/2015 academic year, school recorded a 95 percent pass in the NVTI exam.

He said government’s intervention in addressing their plight is long overdue, stressing that tackling the problem will be a positive step to improving teaching and learning at the school. 

The Principal warned that if nothing is done to salvage the situation, authorities will be left with no option than to close down the school for the safety of the students.

GBC