School In Cemetery

Pupils of Labone Presbyterian Primary School at La in Accra live through the daily experience of having an old cemetery for a school compound. These children start their day sweeping though the graves, sit on them to either eat or chat and look at the graves from open windows while in class. This situation is in sharp contrast with the tradition of cultural norms of most Ghanaian societies which discourage children from going to cemeteries, even when they are bereaved, for fear that they would have nightmares. The Times newspaper interaction with some of the pupils revealed that the fear of having a ghost as a next door neigbour was high when they were first admitted to the school but with time, the fear diminished. The pupils even have a standing joke that spirits of the ancestor which, according to them hover around, will punish wayward children in the school. One of them blamed his abysmal academic performance on the ever present of the graves since according to him, he had a deep seated fear of ghosts which made it difficult for him to concentrate in class. Mrs. Mercy Fiakpui, head teacher of the school told the Times that the situation did not create a conducive atmosphere for academic work. She said many children wanting admission in the school scared of the graves in the cemetery and therefore chose to enroll elsewhere. Mr. Fiakpui said the location of the school in the old cemetery posed a health risk to pupils and teaching since some of the graves had started breaking up. Ms. Francisca Anaba, Circuit Supervisor, said the school had occasion to write to owners of the cemetery to relocate it but to date they have not responded. She said criminals operate in the school at night because there were no lights. Though the Times could not get information on when the cemetery was established but among the array of graves was one dated 1923.