Minister expresses concern about dilapidated school structures

Akotoshie, (G/R), May 11, GNA- Mrs. Angelina Baiden Amissah, Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of Basic and Teacher Education on Friday expressed disappointment about the physical conditions of some schools in the Ga West District of Accra.

She condemned the unconcerned attitude of the district assembly and other stakeholders at Ashalaja towards the poor conditions of the infrastructure of the sponsored new school projects in the area. Mrs Amissah expressed these sentiments when she visited some basic schools constructed by the Canadian Federation of Teachers (CFT) in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of Teachers. She commended the teachers for teaching under such strenuous conditions, saying, "I took your lesson note to make sure that in spite of the dilapidated nature of this building you still come to class and teach these children".

Mrs Amissah also called on the community to also strengthen their communal spirit by providing a temporary structure to house students at Ashalaja while they waited for the Assembly to provide a permanent structure.

Akotoshie B/A primary school, students were seen sitting under a shed to study and some did not have chairs and tables and teachers had to use the shade provided by trees around as a staff common. Ashalaja had a worse environment with no better structures and even the mud house used as classroom was in a dilapidated state and life threatening hence an ultimatum by teachers to vacate the classroom if nothing was done about the situation.

John Nyoagbe, Deputy General Secretary of GNAT, responsible for education and Project development said, so far CFT had constructed some classroom blocks at the Akotoshie B/A primary school and provided some materials to aid in teaching and learning. He said GNAT provided about 200 bags of cement since 2002 for the construction of a new school complex at Ashalaja but nothing had been done since.

Torgbega Victor, Headmasters of Akotoshie B/A primary school pleaded for more classroom blocks to accommodate the increasing number of students. Ms Helen MacDonald, a retired teacher and member of CFT noted that, already CFT was working in six communities: Oppah, Akyiman, Akotoshie, Ashalaja, Teshie one and eleven to give education a facelift and would soon move into other regions to assist.