Students petition Government to speed up relocation of school

Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - Mr Michael Nsowah, Acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), on Monday expressed worry about the slow pace of work on the new campus for the Christian Methodist Senior Secondary School at Aplaku in the Greater Accra Region. He said more than 3.3 billion cedis approved in 2003 for the construction of a block of 18 classrooms, a Science and Home Economics block, a girls' dormitory, administration and library blocks and a fence wall had not been utilized by contractors executing the project. Mr Nsowah said this when he received a copy of a petition on the relocation of the school presented by a section of the Student Leadership of the School.

He said only 595 million cedis out of 1.27 billion cedis allocated for the construction of the girls' dormitory had been utilized, adding that 750 million cedis had been made available for the administration block and fence wall.

The petition addressed to the President and signed by Mr Samuel Elavanyo, Senior School Prefect, and Miss Naomi Sam, President, Students Representative Council, requested the President to order the immediate resumption of work on the project.

The petition said the school, currently housed in rented premises, was at the mercy of the landlords anytime there was delay in payment of rent.

"Sometimes we are locked out for days without access to the classrooms, and the effect of this on academic performance of the students can only be imagined", it said.

The petition said the present location had become a place for hawkers and lunatics, which did not augur well for academic work. They added that the school was located at a flood prone area which led to the destruction of property when it rained.

It said the non-existence of a library and computer laboratory to enhance teaching and learning were the other major problems of the students.