Namon SHTS headmistress cries for rescue over dining hall crises

The headmistress of Namon Senior High Technical School (Namon SHTS), Christiana Azuma Asore, has issued an emotional and urgent appeal for infrastructural intervention, highlighting the plight of over 3,500 students grappling with severe facility deficits.

The headmistress' distress call came moments after she graciously commended a UK-based alumnus, Richard Agyare, who together with his wife returned to their roots to make a generous donation of ceiling fans and an undisclosed cash sum to support the school, especially those who recently participated in the National Science and Maths Quiz.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Asore expressed profound gratitude to Agyare, describing his timely intervention as an exceptional display of patriotism and loyalty to his alma mater.

“We are very grateful to Richard Agyare and his wife, Mercy Dombo for remembering their roots and coming back to support the school. This gesture means a lot to us, and we hope it will inspire other past students and stakeholders to assist the school.” The headmistress stated.

Despite the joy brought by the alumnus's visit, the headmistress used the platform to lay bare the crushing infrastructural challenges confronting the rapidly expanding institution.

With student enrollment soaring past 3,500, Asore cried out over the acute bottlenecks crippling daily academic and domestic life on campus.

Key among her appeals, she mentioned an overcrowded dining crisis. According to her, the school’s dining hall can accommodate only 150 students at a time. "Consequently, the 3,500 students must be fed in grueling batches, a bottleneck that frequently eats into instructional hours and disrupts third and fourth-period lessons".

Another challenge is the lack of classroom furniture & Science Lab. She complained that hundreds of students lack proper desks and chairs, while science students are severely disadvantaged, preparing for national examinations without a functional science laboratory.

While acknowledging the government's efforts in the education sector, Mrs. Asore emphasized that state resources alone are woefully inadequate to meet the massive demands of the growing school.

She pointed to the school's sickbay constructed by the PTA and commissioned in 2024, as a shining example of what community partnership can achieve.

“We are appealing to philanthropists, past students, corporate entities, and citizens of Namon at home and abroad to come to our aid. Every contribution, regardless of size, will be used judiciously for the benefit of our students.”

Responding to the headmistress's distress call, the donor, Richard Agyare, expressed deep sadness that despite the school’s soaring population, its core infrastructure has remained largely stagnant since his student days.

Recalling how students during his era had to manually carry blocks and fetch water to construct dormitories, Agyare voiced his dismay at seeing current students enduring similar unhygienic and overcrowded conditions, particularly in the dining hall.

“While I was a student here, the school lacked a lot of infrastructure. I could not return empty-handed, so this donation is just the beginning. However, I was disappointed to see the dining hall in its current state. Senior high school students deserve a clean, modern, and hygienic environment to eat and live in.” Agyare said.

Outlining his immediate intervention roadmap, Agyare pledged to install free campus Wi-Fi to boost research and academic work, after which he will focus on dining and accommodation facilities.

He committed to mobilizing the Namon SHTS Old Students Association, specifically tapping into the 2001 year group and high-ranking professionals like doctors and professors in the diaspora to build a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the school.