A GNA Feature by Anthony Bells Kafui Kanyi

Ho, June 1, GNA - One could hear the cries of toddlers from a distance. Some so loud to keep one wandering what could be happening to the owners of those voices.

As one approached where the noise is coming from one realises they belonged the future leaders of this beloved country, who have been thrown into a death trap that went for a school. Located in the middle of Ho, the capital of the Volta Region; is the Regional Model Nursery and Kindergarten, a "mass grave" housing future leaders of this deer country and continent. Children of the school, though dressed neatly in their khaki school uniforms, do not seem okay as if they knew that all was not well with the environment where they were being taught. An older boy, in one of the classrooms during a visit of this Writer, asked another child if he knew that the assignment given them was too difficult and that tomorrow, he would go to another school where assignments were much easier.

Though teachers here could visibly be seen putting in all effort to impact on the children, the children are not or are little motivated by the infrastructure in which they learn.

Mrs Charity Akordor, the Headmistress of the School, said it had not seen any renovation since its establishment 26 years ago. She said the School's sewerage system had not been functioning. Anytime the toilet is flushed water spills into the classrooms. Mrs Akordor said the classrooms also got flooded anytime it rained compelling the children to mount their desks to avoid contact with the rain water.

The soft-spoken Headmistress also revealed that the School had lost most of its teaching and learning materials to rain water, a situation she described as "uninspiring". She said but for the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) nothing would be working in the school.

No wonder enrolment at the school has gone down drastically from more than a hundred to 59 and only God knows how many children may leave tomorrow to another school for "much easier assignments". Some of the little children, perhaps for fear of the future, cry all day in school until a "rescuer" comes for them at the end of the day when they enjoy some "freedom".

Even as an adult, you could do little under such an infrastructure not knowing when it would fall on you and crush you together with the knowledge you have acquired under it.

This Writer could remember during his days at lower primary, when he and his friends were attracted to the nursery and kindergarten section by the beautiful drawings and pictures on walls. Investigations revealed that authorities are fully aware of the plight of the School but have done nothing because of the usual excuse of "no funds".

Perhaps, all one can advise is that the children should keep on crying, may be tomorrow, their cries would attract the attention of the authorities to do something about their plight. 01 June 09