General News of Monday, 28 February 2011

Source: GNA

Over 300 pupils hold classes in huts

Akroso (E/R), Feb. 28, GNA - More than 300 pupils of the Kyeremase Municipal Authority Primary School near Akroso in the Birim Central Municipality are holding classes in huts made of palm fronds with others in dilapidated classrooms.

The four-classroom mud hut built more than 55 years ago had part of th= e roof ripped-off with no doors and windows to the rooms. Nana Kwame Sarkwa, Chief of the town and Mr Nicholas Mensah, Assembly member of the town who conducted the Ghana News Agency (GNA) round the building, said classes five and six held classes under the hut, whiles the head teacher's office was under a tree.

Nana Sarkwa who is also a member of the School Management Committee, said the situation apart from affecting the children's academic performan= ce, also affected their health.

He said classes usually ended abruptly each time it threatened to rain, saying the full time-table was never covered during the rainy season.

The Chief said the School Management Committee with traditional authorities in the area in 2007, appealed to the Municipal Assembly to help them to rehabilitate the school building but nothing fruitful came out of it.

Mr Nicholas Mensah, Assembly member for the area, said the town was without electricity, and that the people who were predominantly cocoa farmers had, through self-help, contributed to procure 120 low tension poles and erected them.

He appealed to the government to come to their assistance by connecting the town to the national electricity grid.