The dilapidated State M/A basic school in Bantama, a suburb of Kumasi, has become a death trap. Pupils are at risk of harm in their bid to access quality education.
Visible cracks in the walls, “rotten” wooden structures and a poor roofing system show that the school has not received any major renovation since its establishment 8 decades ago.
The chairman of the school’s management committee, Peter Akwasi Peprah Gyamfi, has expressed worry.
“State M/A primary school has been in inception since 1940. Prominent people in this society have passed through the school.
Since its inception, there has not been any major renovation. Some of the infrastructure is putting the students in danger. There are some areas we have instructed the students not to go there because of the risks it poses.
“The building is gradually collapsing. Some classrooms, cannot be used because they are not conducive for teaching and learning,” Gyamfi said.
“I am calling on the president of Ghana, the minister of education, old students of the school and all relevant stakeholders to come and help the school,” he added.
It is gathered that the deplorable nature of the school has forced some parents to withdraw their wards. Pupils whose parents are yet to determine their fate, however, have become apprehensive, especially during instructional hours.
“There are a lot of cracks in the building. When I sit in class, I am always scared. My fear is that one day, the building will collapse on us,” Alice Gyamfi, a class 5 pupil lamented.
“It is very scary. We are always thinking the building will break on us. The building is very old. We will be happy if the government renovates the school and provides us with modern infrastructure,” another pupil added.
“Our school building is gradually crumbling down. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid and provide us with the proper infrastructure to make teaching and learning easier. We do not even use some of the classrooms anymore, because of the fear that it will collapse,” Kofi Peprah, a class 6 pupil said.
Reporting by Paulina Serwaa Gyamfi in the Ashanti Region
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