The ‘saddening’ plight of students in the Krachi Nchumuru District

Students of schools in the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Volta Region would have to live with the custom of saying daily prayers for a ‘miraculous clear weather’ having been faced with a helpless situation of studying in deplorable buildings which serves as a classroom.

The poor condition of the structures most of which are barely covered leaves students in a difficult state as they have to be dismissed when there is a downpour.

The buildings are mostly mud buildings or wooden structures with straw roofs; they have neither walls nor any form of shield from harsh weather conditions.

The situation has exposed the pupils and their teachers to rain storms and the scorching sun, which threatens the smooth running of the school. Pupils also have to manage to concentrate with distractions from animals and the likes while classes are ongoing.

The situation is more serious than it appears as 56 schools in the same district are faced with similar situations.

Education Officer in charge of the Krachi Nchumuru District; Justice Habib, bemoaned the situation. He described the structures as “buildings that even animals are not fit to be kept in”.

“Frankly speaking, some of the buildings are so bad even you and I would not want to put our animals in them but you find children studying under them. Eight out of the fifty-six buildings have been marked by the Krachi Nchumuru District have been marked as a “death trap”, leaving the fate of these students undecided and in great danger.

Several poorly constructed buildings of this sort have collapsed in several instances in the past, causing severe injury to students.

Some kindergarten pupils died in a building collapse in Breman Gyambra in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District of the Central Region earlier this year, and several others were injured.