Asare Bediako SHS needs toilets and classrooms - PTA Chairman

Despite much efforts by the government to provide infrastructure for all the second cycle institutions in the country, the Asare Bediako Senior High School (SHS) at Akrokerri in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region is still underdeveloped as students and teachers compete for a place of convenience to ease themselves.

With a population of about one thousand students, both boys and girls currently are sharing a dilapidated four seater toilet facility with other staff of the school causing a delay in attendance of compulsory gathering.

This, according to management and the students leadership is having a negative toll on teaching and learning. Management has also bemoaned government's refusal to come to the rescue of the students and teachers before the continuation of its flagship free education policy begins next academic term.

These came to light when the Parents Teachers' Association (PTA) in the school requested in a letter to a private construction firm, Danywise Estate and Construction to build classrooms and toilets for the school.

According to the PTA's Chairman, Robert Owusu, almost 80% of projects in the school were done by the Association with little financial support from the school's Internal Generated Funds (IGF), therefore a need to appeal to individuals, philanthropists and the government to come to their aide.

"On behalf of the students and every parents, my humble appeal to President Akufo-Addo is to help us complete the classrooms we are putting up since we are cash-trapped", the Assembly of the area appealed when he took journalists rounds to inspect some ongoing projects in the school.

The Free SHS education has been one of the top priorities of the ruling New Patriotic party (NPP) government as it was a major campaign tool prior to the 2008, 2012 and the 2016 elections respectively, however, some schools in the Ashanti Region are still under logistical constraint despite measures put in place by the government for the start of the free education policy.

The NPP after winning the 2016 general elections said it is determined to roll out the pogramme that seeks to give free Senior High School education to about 400,000 students across the country.

But according to reports, some of the schools outside the capital of Kumasi still have not received their exercise books to enable them study.

However, some individuals and groups both within and outside the party have warned the government to make better preparations to ensure its sustainability.