How pupils in Western North suffer to access education

For dozens of schoolchildren living in Achiase, Ankasse, Apromase Mission and Plot So in the Western North Region, the pursuit of education has become a daily encounter with danger, as they are compelled to cross the swollen River Bia in a canoe, before accessing school at Antwi Agyeikrom, in the Ahafo Region.

River Bia, which serves as the natural boundary between the affected communities and Antwi Agyeikrom in the Asunafo North Municipality, has become a major obstacle to education and movement for residents in the area.

The communities on the opposite side of the river reportedly have no educational facilities, forcing children, including those in Kindergarten and lower primary, to depend on a canoe to attend classes at Antwi Agyeikrom M/A School.

Residents say the situation becomes worse during the rainy season, when the river overflows its banks, making crossing extremely dangerous and, at times, impossible.

A teacher at the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Chronicle, over the phone, described the situation as disturbing and harmful to the academic progress of the affected pupils.

According to the teacher, some pupils are unable to attend school regularly because they either arrive late or cannot cross the river at all when the water level rises.

“The younger children suffer the most. Sometimes they stay home because the river becomes too dangerous to cross. Others report late after lessons have already started,” the teacher said.

The teacher explained that when the river overflows, some pupils are forced to walk through portions of the water before reaching the canoe.

“In certain situations, the water reaches their chest or chin level, before they board the canoe. After crossing, they still have to walk through the water again before getting to land,” the source disclosed.

The teacher noted that the challenge had existed long before the posting to the area, adding that over 30 pupils are affected.

According to the source, the canoe carries only six passengers at a time, including the paddler, and crossing can take more than 15 minutes during periods of flooding.

The teacher further revealed that some children can remain out of school for weeks or months when the river becomes impassable.

“Sometimes, they stay home for close to three months because movement becomes too risky,” the teacher stressed.

The Queenmother of Antwi Agyeikrom, Nana Pokua Agyemang, also described the absence of a bridge across River Bia as a serious challenge confronting the area.

She explained that many parents fear for the safety of their children and, therefore, hesitate to allow them to cross the river to school.

“Some parents prefer keeping their children at home because they are afraid something tragic may happen on the river,” she stated.

According to the Queenmother, movement between the two sides of the river becomes extremely difficult whenever the river increases in volume.

She recalled a tragic incident in which someone reportedly drowned while attempting to cross the river during a funeral event.

“We searched for him throughout the night and found his body the following day,” she recounted.

Beyond education, she noted that cocoa farmers in the enclave also face severe transportation difficulties, as they are forced to carry bags of cocoa beans across the river manually.

Nana Pokua Agyemang appealed to government and benevolent organisations to intervene by constructing a bridge over the river.

“We are pleading with the state and well-meaning Ghanaians to come to our aid because this problem has worried us for many years,” she appealed.

Some of the affected pupils also shared their frustrations, explaining that they often become stranded at the river bank whenever the canoe is unavailable.

According to one pupil, they usually shout across the river in an attempt to attract attention from people on the opposite side.

“If nobody hears us or comes to help us, we go back home and miss school,” the pupil said.

Another student appealed to authorities to construct a bridge to end the dangerous ordeal.

“Sometimes crossing the river scares us. We are pleading with the authorities to help us with a bridge,” the pupil appealed.

A linguist to the Queenmother, Nana Frimpong, said the cries of stranded travellers, farmers and pupils have become common in the area.

“Very often, you hear people shouting from the river side because they are stranded and need assistance to cross,” he disclosed.

He noted that the situation affects not only schoolchildren, but also pregnant women, sick persons and farmers transporting produce.

According to him, the absence of a bridge continues to expose residents to danger and hardship.

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