Parents threaten to withdraw wards over death trapped school, MCE insists it's an agenda

Students sitting in the classroom

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Correspondence from Ashanti Region:

Parents and teachers at the Offinso Kokote M/A Primary and Junior High School in the Offinso Municipality of the Ashanti region earlier made a humble appeal to the government and other stakeholders to immediately come to their aid with the help of renovating their deplorable school structure.

Speaking to Ghanaweb, the worried parents anticipated fears over how the school building has become a death trap, threatening the lives of their wards.

Most of these parents who took turns to express their worries revealed that weak roofing, coupled with a tattered stance of the school structure, with unperturbed attention by any authority is giving them no option other than to withdraw their wards.

"The roofing sheets which have been in existence for over 70 years, have now become very weak. You enter a classroom and see most of these roofs pervading deep holes. There are no toilets for the school. We are compelled to run for our wards when it's about to rain.

We can no longer resist this panic that is created by a death trap school like this". They lamented. They, therefore, threatened to withdraw their wards should there be no change.

A visit to the school revealed classrooms with no ceiling, with most of the roofing parts opened to pave a direct way for scorching sun and rain.

In an interview with Ghanaweb, PTA chairman of the school, Owoahene Achampong, said, the school which is over 70 years has seen no renovation, and this has truly led to the poor roofing structure, and a death trap school building.

He revealed that there's no toilet facility in the school and there are many other problems confronting the school.

"I, as the head of PTA together with the other executive have done our best but it seems no authority is hearing us. This school has produced great men such as the current Member of Parliament for Ofinso, and it wouldn't be nice for parents to withdraw their wards due to its poor state.

We humbly plead with the MCE, the MP and other stakeholders to immediately come in before it gets too late," He said.

Again, the senior House Master of the school, Mr James Owusu also made a request to the Municipal Assembly and Education Directorate to provide the school an lCT Center, staff common room, and a toilet facility to prevent the students from going out all the time during learning hours.

Mr Anthony Kwarteng Yeboah, the headmaster of the school, speaking to this reporter revealed that the problem has been a headache for a very long time, and he hopes there's going to be a positive change this time.

He said, when it is about to rain, students sometimes have to be closed quickly to avoid any disaster. He said several appeals made by the school to the authorities and Education Directorate has proven futile.

"We have made several appeals to the necessary authorities and it turns negative all the time. There's a hope that it's going to work this time.

I've seen the MCE making a step this time, and I hope it's going to continue". He said.

He appealed that some parts of the school and the foundation parts that have developed cracks be immediately renovated.

But responding to the issue, the MCE Hon. Solomon Kesse said the assembly is currently trying to roof the school, but are prevented by the headmaster, the PTA chairman and other teachers, and that's why the work keeps delaying.