Parents accuse GES for neglect of Coaltar SHS

Coaltar (E/R), April 10, GNA - Parents whose children attend the Kraboa Coaltar Presbyterian Senior Technical High School in the Eastern Region, have expressed concern about apathetic attitude of the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District office of the Ghana Education Service GES towards the plight of their children. The parents stated: "Now that the rains have set in, it is feared that the dilapidated structure of the classrooms which are at the verge of collapse, would cause harm to our children".

A cross-section of the parents resident in Akim Oda, who expressed the concern through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) here on Thursday, expressed regret and disappointment in the authorities of the GES, the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District Assembly and the Ministry of Education.

A Spokesperson for the eight parents, Opanin Kwasi Appiah, who visited the Municipal Office of the GNA stated that the buildings had become so dilapidated that it could collapse anytime and said the administration block, library, workshop and staff common room had also developed cracks. He stressed that portions of the roofs of the school building had been ripped off, thereby bringing classes to a halt whenever it rained. The Spokesman pointed out that during the dry season, the sun also disturbed academic work particularly during hot days.

Opanin Appiah said the place had turned into a haven for snakes and other reptiles, adding; "the situation had posed danger to the students, teaching staff and other workers." According to him, their wards reported to them that during class hours, some of the dangerous snakes and reptiles disrupted teaching and learning, while the male and female students in the school shared the same pit-latrine, a situation he described as immoral.

Opanin Appiah indicated that the condition of the structure had become a great worry to the parents that they kept on discussing the issue at their PTA meetings, but to no avail. He indicated further that at one of such meetings at the school, the headmaster told the parents that sometime in July 2005, the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. Godfred Otchere, visited the institution and gave the school authorities the assurance that the government was to come to their aid to rectify the bad conditions.

When the GNA visited the school, the Headmaster had travelled to Suhum on official duty, but no other official wanted to talk to the GNA, however, some opinion leaders including an ex-assembly member said the school was built sometime in 1944 by the people in the area for local primary and middle schools. According to him, the school block was then converted into a secondary technical school in 1993, and had since never been renovated. It serves more than 20 surrounding communities. He said the Secondary Technical School faced imminent closure, if steps were not taken to rehabilitate it as soon as possible, since the school was in a deplorable state and needed immediate attention to avoid a disaster.