Congestion At Brekum Sec.

STUDENTS SLEEP IN PAIRS
Larteh E/R -- Benkum Secondary School in the Eastern Region is congested, compelling students to sleep in pairs.

The school’s authorities have had to convert eight classrooms into dormitories for all male students due to serious accommodation problems faced by the school which has a population of 1,111.

While the current arrangement has helped to provide boarding facilities for students who live outside the town, it has on the other hand, created a serious shortage of classrooms in the school.Ninety-eight students instead of 45, now occupy a classroom causing poor supervision of classroom work.

Currently, the Agricultural Science and the Pure Science classes have been combined into one class just like the Secretarial and Accounting classes due to the lack of classrooms. Students interviewd by the Junior Graphic said they can hardly concentrate in class because of the congestion.Mr Joshua Offei Bekoe, a Maths teacher, said the situation makes it very difficult for teachers to move freely in the classroom since students sit very close to the blackboard.

Nana Kwabena Addo Gyau, Headmaster of the school, explained that classes have had to be combined and some students made to sleep in pairs so that academic work is not disrupted. He described the situation as serious and said the dormitories are also congested with about 90 pupils occupying a dormitory which contains only 45 beds.

“Meanwhile, work on a three-storey girls dormitory which was begun in 1972 has been abandoned, causing the girls to occupy the intended boys dormitory block,” he added.

According to Nana Addo Gyau, a contractor who was working on the project has not been seen at the site since the Christmas break last year. He said due to the serious nature of the problem the school authorities decided to impose a special levy on the PTA to raise some funds to continue with the project but that was not approved by the GES.

Nana Addo Gyau said the uncompleted building which is sited a few metres away from the school block has become a hideout for students to indulge in immoral acts. “Some students were caught smoking ‘wee’ in the abandoned building and were dismissed from the school, this year”, he added. A Form One student, Master Cephas Mintah Nakotey said should there be an outbreak of any disease in the school most students are likely to be infected due to the congestion in the dormitories.

When Ms Lydia Osei, a Deputy Director General of the GES was contacted on the issue, she said efforts are being made to rehabilitate some of the buildings of the school but advised heads of institutions to admit only the number of students the school can accommodate.