Students of the Esaaman United Basic School in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipality in the Central Region have been forced to study under trees.
Their constraint results from the fact that the dilapidated school building is now an accident waiting to happen and the school’s headmaster has had enough of students having to run out of the building anytime it starts creaking and swaying.
“We couldn’t help but get them out here until the integrity of the building is addressed. We can’t allow the children in there because we fear of a possible calamity,” PTA chairman, Albert Senkyire is quoted as saying.
Mr. Senkyire is added, “The PTA has started something and we want the support of the Assembly but we have not been getting favourable response,” he stated.
And the school’s PTA Chairman, rather than its Headmaster or teachers is the one who can speak to the media because apparently, the teachers are afraid they will be victimized by the government if they speak up.
The number of students affected is said to be about 400. They now must play hide and seek with the hot African sun in order to get some education. And when it rains, it effectively means the end of lessons for the day.
The hapless students’ situation can be described as being caught between the vagaries and the collapsing classroom block.
The building they have been studying is said to have developed six months ago.
They have since written countless letters to the Municipal Education Office and the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) Assembly but nothing has been done.
Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC), John Kingsford is reported as saying the decision to get the children out is to avert a possible disaster.
Even so, the school teachers and Headmaster have been forced to keep mute for fear of being victimized by the Akufo-Addo government if they speak out.
Meanwhile, the President has been junketing in a luxury private jet that costs US$14,000 per hour to rent. His spokespeople have justified the president’s decision to abandon the presidential jet and hire a luxury one because the presidential jet has no shower in it.
President Akufo-Addo wants to be able to bathe close to the angels.