A/R Schools forced to run shifts due to lack of classrooms

Pupils of Obuasi SDA Primary School A and B in the Obuasi Municipal ‬in the Ashanti region have been forced to run shifts due to lack of classrooms.

Worries about school shifts

In an interview with Communitywatchdoggh, the headmaster of the school, Francis Danso, expressed his worry about shifts in the school. He said basic education is the foundation for any form of education. This, therefore, calls for much better attention to address all challenges confronting it, including lack of suitable classroom blocks. Teachers in the school are not happy to teach under such conditions. Some teachers may refuse when posted to the school due to the poor building system. He, therefore, called on government, stakeholders, individuals and NGOs to intervene.

School after closing time

The headmaster said the students are made not to follow Ghana schools closing time. The total number of students in the school from P1-P6 which is primary A and B is close to 600. He said Primary A, which has about 290 students, is forced to close at 12:00 and primary B, which has about 270 students, closes at 5:00 pm in the evening. Danso said the situation is really affecting teaching and learning in the school. According to him a lot of time is wasted and it is affecting students’ performance.

Building school classrooms

The local Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school has, therefore, built four unit classrooms which will help stop the shift system and help the students to get a good learning class. The government hasn’t contributed. Although it is not plastered, it helps out at this hour.

Challenges of education system

An ongoing issue that continues to confront Ghana’s education system is the lack of adequately suitable classrooms for all children to sit and learn. The challenge leads to many school managers to improvise with trees and tree trunks where children sit to be taught. Such situations are still prevalent in Ghana’s education system. Many describe this situation as ‘schools under trees’. These have not been adequate and the situation still persists in many towns and rural communities, and in some cases even deteriorated over the years.

Story by Mark Sandow, leading community journalist at Communitywatchdoggh.com, from Krachi Nchumburu district in the Oti region. The reason for publishing this story is to inform people about the challenges in education on local level. Since this is a website for local news and community development in the rural area of Ghana, it fits the scope of communitywatchdoggh.com.