Rodents feed on my students’ legs, ears – KSTI Headmaster reveals

The Headmaster of the Kumasi Secondary Technical Institute (KSTI), Mr Haruna Oppong Boateng, has revealed that aside contending with bedbugs in his school, the student population of over 5,000 also have to endure the bites of rodents, mostly mice.

He said these rodents feed on the legs and ears of his students, a situation he described as unfortunate. Mr Boateng made this known to the DAILY HERITAGE when the Zoomlion fumigation team stormed the school, as part of the nationwide exercise, to fumigate senior high schools (SHSs) to rid them of bedbugs, rodents and viruses.

“We have a lot of rats here and they chew my students’ legs, and sometimes their ears. Ever since I came here, I have seen a lot of rodents in school. If you take a look at the school, we don’t have a big compound; for that reason, our sanitation situation wasn’t the best.

“And you know, wherever a refuse dump is, it breeds rodents…and that is exactly the situation that we find ourselves in. So where the containers and where we dispose of our refuse are close to the school area and for that reason, those rodents who feed over there come to the dormitory to harass our students,” the headmaster stated.

He further said, “we take the students who are bitten by the mice to our sick bays and they are treated there”. He said the school had a population of 5,080 half of which are boarders.

Zoomlion Intervention Massive

Touching on the fumigation exercise targeted at bedbugs, Mr Boateng said, “We have a similar challenge like other schools. That is why I said that in addition to the bedbugs, rodents invade our schools because of the nearness of our school compound to the refuse dump.

“The bedbugs are also a challenge to us and we don’t leave them just like that; we regularly disinfect our dormitories.”

The headmaster described the exercise being carried out by Zoomlion as “massive,” since “it covers the dormitories, the classrooms, the dining hall, the offices and the rest”.

According to him, “even some of the bedbugs find their way into our offices, but because of what Zoomlion has done, they will be done away with, so it will take a very long time for them to come again.”

Our students will fade if…

While proposing what should be done to get students back to the classroom, the headmaster suggested that the GES should consider allowing students back to school in batches.

“The students cannot be allowed to stay home forever, else they will fade away. We are saying that in case the Ghana Education Services wants to reopen the schools, they (students) should come in batches.”

GES, Zoomlion marriage

The Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES), in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, earlier this month introduced the exercise targeted at fumigating senior high schools in the country to control bedbug invasion.

The exercise for both public and private second cycle institutions in all 16 regions has started in the Ashanti Region, where so far over 50 SHSs have so far been fumigated.

Bedbugs invasion

The invasion of bedbugs and other dangerous insects in second cycle intuitions has become a cause of worry to school authorities, parents and students as a whole. The increasing cases of bedbugs infestation in schools have raised serious health concerns which have compelled the Education Service to find a solution to deal with the problem.

The bugs and other insects such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and ants have repeatedly invaded some of these schools, especially those with boarding facilities. As a result, the Education Ministry entered into a partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Ltd to launch a nationwide fumigation exercise to disinfect all second cycle institutions to make sure bedbugs and other insects were eliminated from the schools.

Beneficiaries

Last Thursday, Zoomlion started the massive fumigation in the Ashanti Region’s capital, Kumasi and its environs whereby 53 out of 190 senior high schools have been fumigated.

The spraying exercise was done in all classrooms, dormitories, dining halls, and administration blocks. Senior high schools (SHS), technical and vocational education and training schools (TVETs) and special schools across the country will benefit from the exercise.

Some of the schools that were fumigated were St. Bekwai SDA SHS, Mary’s Girls’ SHS Juaso SHTS, Juaben SHS, Effiduasi Commercial SHS, Nurul Ameen Islamic SHS, Barekese SHS, Mpasatia SHS, Nkawie SHS, Nyinahin SHS, Afia Kobi SHS, T I Ahmadiyya SHS, and Effiduase Asokore SHS.

Also fumigated were Krobea Asante Technical, Tijjani SHS, St. Joseph’s, Tweneboah Koduah SHS, Dadease Agric Kwumawu, Wesley SHS, Oweriman SHS, Ofoase SHS, Odumase SHS, Collins SHS, Bankoman SHS, Toase SHS, Atwimakwanwoma SHS and Bompata Presby.

Others included Armed Forces, Osei Kyeretwire SHS, Al-Alzariya Islamic SHS, Asanteman SHS, Osei Tutu SHS, Asare Bediako SHS, Kumasi Girls SHS, Gyaama Pensan SHS, Ghana Muslim Mission, and Kumasi Technical Institute.