Children are compelled to sit on wooden slabs to learn due to lack of furniture at Boti Saint Philips Basic School in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.

Authorities say the situation is hampering effective academic work.

Our checks reveal both Kindergarten and the entire Primary stream is affected.

The school, established in 1956, is one of the oldest.

Despite its relatively short distance to the regional capital, the school is categorized as deprived. Besides lack of basic amenities, there are a few more existing facilities in deplorable state.

Staff and pupils say they can no longer use makeshift structures with hanging roof, as canteen and washroom because they have become death traps.

These kindergarten pupils, like every other school child, aim to climb high the academic ladder.

However, their dream of achieving that could come crashing down.

Pupils strain their necks upwards to gaze at their teacher while sitting on these wood slabs during classes hours.

Headteacher, Korley Francis Odonkor, says the situation has become stressful.

"We don't have desk so what we do is that we have these boards and we place them on these bricks for the children to sit on. The boards belongs to someone so we borrow from that community member and use it for the children. In fact we have complained to office but they say they don't have some so there's nothing we can do". He lamented

At the primary session three children had to share one desk and get their uniforms frequently torn as a result of nails sticking out of the desk.

"The nails in our desk have been tearing our uniforms frequently. We sit on the few desk ‘three three’ because we have only few desks and that one too the nails are over the desks so it been tearing our uniform ". A worried student stated.

The headmaster further disclosed that their plight have been compounded by reptile invasion of the compound.

In his words, "Snakes have been coming here. The last time during our SMC meeting we saw a snake. The other time too the teachers were meeting and they saw a snake, we have to call on people to help us kill them"

Trespassers, some of them suspected criminals, once reportedly broke into the school's office and made away with properties, including teaching and learning materials.