Bilinsa JHS students study in an uncompleted classroom block

Effective teaching and learning have been hampered at Bilinsa Junior High School in the Builsa north District of the Upper East Region, as students are forced to study in an uncompleted classroom block belonging to the Sandema Senior High Technical School.

Two rooms in the structure have been carved out to serve as classrooms, accommodating Form One and Form Two students. Visibly still under construction, both classrooms have neither door nor window fittings and as a result, students spend lots of school hours to clean dropping of smaller ruminants that have turned the classrooms as playground.

According to Evans Adochim, an assembly member and member of the Education Sub-committee at the Assembly, the lack of structure since the school came into being two years ago, has forced the assembly to resort to authorities of the Sandema Senior High Technical School for help.

" Bilinsa Junior high, they do not actually have a building. This building they are sitting in is not for them. We find it so difficult and some of us were actually behind the securing of this building for them."

The assembly member added that a push for a new building facility for the school was initiated when the past government was in power. He also stated the current administration at the assembly was bent on making a difference in education in the district.

Honourable Adochim however expressed worry over  how the  impact of  the free SHS, might have  on Bilinsa JHS. He believes the higher number of admissions this academic year will leave the Senior High Technical School with no choice than to expel the junior high school from their property. He appealed for a timely intervention by the district assembly.

The students  shared their difficult experiences with  Atinka News . They named the "bare" floors, frameless windows and the fear of getting expelled from the building one day as their major challenges.

" We always come to school but the floor is not cemented so when you wear your shoes or any sandals to the classroom, they will get very dirty because of the dust. And besides that the windows have no frames. So someone can pass through them and steal our things like pens, books and little furniture, " said Aziteba Timothy a Form Two student.

Until Bilinsa JHS  gets a classroom block they can call their own, teaching and learning will be conducted in that uncompleted yet borrowed space.