Lodonu suggests task forces on SHS challenges

Lolobi (V/R), Oct. 22, GNA - The Most Rev Francis Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, has suggested to the government to form task forces to address classroom and accommodation challenges facing first year Senior High School (SHS) students.

He said instead of stakeholders waiting to see how students and schools adjusted to the challenges, regional and district task forces could facilitate efforts at addressing the challenges. Bishop Lodonu made the call when he visited all Catholic SHSs and some basic schools in the Ho Diocese to have first hand information on the classrooms and accommodation challenges they face. He described the situation in the schools as very "unfortunate and frightening" that needed urgent attention.

"The challenges are more than one imagined. For students to be sleeping on the floor and crowded in this modern times, is just unacceptable," the Most Rev Lodonu said.

He visited OLA in Ho, Bishop Herman College in Kpando and St. Mary's Seminary and SHS at Lolobi in the Hohoe Municipality and saw all first year students sleeping on the floor in big halls and were being taught in improvised structures and assembly halls.

The six-unit classroom blocks, under government's emergency schools infrastructure programme, for OLA and St. Mary are yet to be completed while that of Bishop Herman College has not started. Bishop Lodonu urged the students to exercise restrain and manage the little resources given them while measures were taken to normalize the situation.

Mr Raphael Kwashie, the Volta Regional Catholic Schools Manager, advised the students to make good use of their time while they coped with the situation. 22 Oct. 10