Pupils Study Under Trees In Kumasi

A section of pupils at Nyankyerease Methodist Junior High School in the Kwadaso Constituency study under trees in this computer era. This unspeakable condition is happening in this 21st century where students in other parts of the world study in ultra-modern classrooms furnished with computers. The situation came up when the MP for the area Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto visited the school on Tuesday. The young and innocent pupils are subjected to various hardships including excessive sun exposure and are prone to insect or even snake bites while studying. Numbering about 100, students at the only public school in the area are compelled to abolish classes whenever it rains. This according to school authorities was having adverse effects on their efforts to teach them. Headmistress of the school, Christiana Amo Yeboah told the Daily Guide newspaper all attempts to get help including an appeal to the Ghana Education Service (GES) have so far proved futile. �I do not want to talk about the GES again because they are not prepared to help us after two years of making appeals to them.� The MP said incidents like this coupled with congestion in classrooms all over the constituency influenced his decision to embark on a campaign to finish all uncompleted school buildings before his tenure expired.He lamented that with 14 townships, Kwadaso had only about 50 public schools which did not have appropriate infrastructure. �Average of 90 students are found in each class. This to me does not augur well for smooth learning,� he grieved, noting uncompleted structures started via collaborations between school authorities and PTAs have been abandoned due to lack of funds. Dr. Akoto said he had picked 10 deplorable schools in the area including Asuyeboa, Agric Topre-Odumase among other as the first to receive assistance from him.He said uncompleted buildings in these schools and 40 others would be completed and furnished before his tenure as MP expired by 2012, disclosing he would expend GH105, 720 on the first phase alone. The Kwadaso MP who would depend on his share of the GETFUND, support, from business associates and well wishers said he had raised GH60,000 to kick start the project.He mentioned Ohwimase Anglican LA and Nyankyerenase Methoidst JHS as two schools with severe cases, vowing to complete two uncompleted classroom in these institutions soon. Dr. Akoto described education as the best legacy parents could bequeath to their children in this computer era and appealed to well-endowed institutions and individuals to support him carry out his ambitious project.