Students of Kongo JHS vacates block as building faces imminent collapse

  

A number of students attending the Kongo Junior High school in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region have been forced to perch with a nearby primary school to take lessons. 

This is because the main block ‘A’ that accommodate students in form one to three, is in a terrible state and could  collapse any time soon. 

A visit to the school by Radio Ghana, saw deep cracks that have developed on sections of the building. 

In an interview with Correspondent Isaac Asare, the Headteacher of the school, Emmanuel Ditamina said the deterioration of the virtually collapsed building came to his notice when school reopened for the second term of the academic year.

 He was however informed that the situation was critical to the extent that whenever the wind blows heavily, pieces of the blocks fall on the learners and that obviously distract their attention. 

For him, the state of the building requires urgent attention as it poses a death trap not only to students but teachers as well. 

The cracked walls, he lamented, have incidentally left portions hanging and one could barely see through to the next classroom. 

To avert any possible accident, students are compelled to vacate their classrooms and join their counterparts at the next block. 

Mr. Ditamina said the firm decision was taken by the school’s management body in consultation with the district circuit supervisor. 

According to him, the District Education Directorate had been equally notified about the condition of block. 

The move, he stated, had prompted the District Director of Education, Joe Amesimeku to visit the school to examine the state of the building.  

 Meanwhile, the directorate had sent a report to the District Assembly for assistance. 

Mr. Ditamina appealed to the authorities concerned to swiftly expedite action and provide possible remedies to the problem because temporal measures taken by the school had led to undue pressure and overcrowding at each classroom. 

The situation, he noted had taken a toll on academic work as teachers had to endure the worry of handling between sixty to eighty students in a class. 

The Kongo JHS has a current student population of 204 comprising 100 girls and 104 boys.

 Moreover, the school is faced with numerous infrastructural challenges with teacher accommodation topping the list of required resources. 

On daily basis, about 80 percent of teachers commute from Bolgatanga, the regional capital, to Kongo to offer tuition. 

This, has resulted in lateness and teacher absenteeism due to frequent breakdown of their vehicles.

 The school is again challenged with lack of potable drinking water and shortage of teaching and learning materials particularly, English text books, which have evidently affected the teaching and learning of the language. 

Mr. Ditamina believe that with funding and timely release of capitation grant, the school will be able to deal with other challenges and   purchase a photocopier and other printing accessories for examination materials. 

He therefore called on the government through the GES to assist in that regard. 

GBC