Abira Primary School pupils face imminent disaster

Nkawie (Ash), Oct. 19, GNA - The Abira Primary School, near Barekese in the Atwima-Nwabiagya District of Ashanti, faces an imminent closure as a result of the dangerous nature of the old and dilapidated school building, which has become a death trap.

Mr Joseph Ampong, the Barekese Circuit Supervisor, who disclosed this at the monthly meeting of the circuit supervisors in the district at Nkawie said, the situation was so serious that the over 120 pupils, who were exposed to the possible disaster, usually abandon the building whenever it threatened to rain.

Mr Baffour Asare-Bediako, an Assistant Director of Education in-charge of Human Resource Management and Development at the directorate, asked the supervisors to liaise with the communities to find an alternative classroom accommodation for the affected pupils, while the directorate found permanent solution to it. He asked the schedule officers at the directorate to regularly prepare and submit their action plans for discussions before implementation.

He said the child should be the major focal point for consideration in the preparation of the action plan. Mr Asare-Bediako said it was compulsory for headteachers to submit terminal reports and that defaulting headteachers would be sanctioned. He charged the supervisors to be initiative and promptly discuss and solve teachers' professional problems at the school level. He noted, however that, serious professional misconduct and indiscipline should be referred to the directorate.

Mr Richard Owusu-Agyemang, the public relations officer, advised them to re-organise and revamp dormant School Management Committees (SMCs) to enable them contribute meaningfully towards the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme. Mr F.C.K. Ntim-Gyakari, the Nkawie Circuit Supervisor, who presided, complained about inadequate textbooks and other teaching and learning materials in some schools and noted that it undermined effective classroom work.