Pupils in Mion district study under huts for years

The inability of the Mion District Assembly to provide classroom blocks for Tuya and its surrounding communities is putting the future of several school going children in jeopardy.

The children have the desire to be in school in order to pursue their dreams of becoming useful to the society, but the absence of deserving educational infrastructure in the community continues to hinder or serves as barrier to their formal education.

The assembly has unjustifiably abandoned a three unit classroom block that was to augment or replace the temporal structure provided by the community some years ago.

The temporal school structure, which was provided through communal efforts by the members of the Tuya community in September 2010 for the children in the area have exhausted its usefulness.

The structures were meant to accommodate small children who could not walk to the next community called Jimli (12 kilometres away) an opportunity to attend School and have access to basic education.

The Tuya Primary School which serves children from Tuya, Gashie and Pashenaa Kura was initially run by volunteer Teachers who were paid by the community members in kind and in cash.

However, in September 2015, the Ghana Education Service (GES) absorbed the School and provided it with five trained Teachers after a number of meetings and advocacy actions from the community.

Unfortunately, the school has since deteriorated without any much effort by the authority to provide new or additional structures.

The number of classes has increased from three to six with no additional classrooms to accommodate the students.

The students are still using the temporal structure that was built by the community and a two classroom pavilion. Majority of the pupils sit under trees, a situation which is posing a number of challenges to quality teaching and learning.

At the quarterly Media Review Meeting of the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) and its partners, the Mion District Coordinator of the Empowerment for Life (E4L), Madam Ubaida Ibrahim in a presentation said the lives of the school children were in extreme danger and discomfort.

According to her, a three unit classroom block that was to be constructed by the Mion District Assembly in 2016 after several advocacy efforts by the E4L and the community has since been abandoned at the foundation stage.

She lamented that the plight of the pupils was worsened when the some of the temporal structures were pulled down to make way for the three unit classroom block.

Because the three unit block is abandoned or not yet completed the children have gone back to sitting under trees, exposing them to the adverse effects of heavy storms, rains, dusts and scorching sun.

“When it drizzles or rain, those under the trees and sheds have to take shelter on the veranda of the pavilion and those inside cannot learn because of the noise that is created.

This means the whole school is disorganized as far as learning is concerned”.

A teacher of the school, Mr Iddrisu Alhassan confirmed the numerous challenges facing the school.

He explained that the hammattan season was the worst period for the ‘under tree’ classrooms because it brings cold and dust.

He said “books and papers of students are always blown off when they are having lessons and teachers do not feel comfortable handling lessons under such inhumane condition”.

The Mion District Coordinating Director, Mr. Samuel Osman Sibeko in an interview with said he had just taken office and was yet to be briefed about the projects earmarked in the district.

He however promised to give detailed report on how and why the Tuya school project was abandoned.