Correspondence from the Ashanti Region

The State Experimental Schools (comprising primary, KG and JHS sections) in the Bantama sub-metro are set to implement drastic measures to curb unauthorised access to their campus, with a strict ban on its use as a public walkway effective January 2026.

This decisive announcement was made by Peter Akwasi Peprah, Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC), during the launch of the schools' 80th anniversary celebration.

Peprah expressed profound dismay over persistent public defiance of warnings, noting that traders and other passersby regularly cut through the school grounds, a major concern he stated was the frequent entry of mad persons onto campus, causing panic and fear among students and staff during instructional hours.

He highlighted how these intrusions severely disrupt the learning environment, with individuals often creating noise that break students' concentration.

Following a meeting with stakeholders, the SMC has unequivocally resolved to block all these entries that enable recalcitrant individuals to trespass through the school to their various places.

Emphasising the gravity of the decision, Peprah declared, "I wonder why people have been using the school campus as a walkway despite several warnings. If you're going to the Racecourse, there is a correct route to the place and you're not supposed to use someone's school campus as a walkway. It is the same way we are telling those who have been using the school campus as their shortcuts.

"Henceforth, starting from January 2026, they should bear in mind that there is no way they would be allowed to use the school campus as a walkway again. We say this with all seriousness and we have no negotiation deal with anyone or owe an apology to anyone."

Beyond the walkway issue, the SMC also voiced strong concerns about the encroachment of school premises by some mechanics, whose car engines regularly distract the learning process.

Chairman Peprah appealed to the Kumasi city authorities to provide "massive protection" for the State Schools to ensure the safety of schoolchildren.

These statements were made as the school officially launched its 80th anniversary celebration, with the main event slated for 2026.

Peprah expressed immense joy at the school's long journey and its legacy of producing numerous great personalities for the nation.

He urged all past students to actively participate in the upcoming 2026 celebration.

The three-day launching period, held from Wednesday, December 10, 2025, to Friday, December 12, 2025, featured a series of engaging activities including a float procession through the streets of Kumasi, various games such as football, draft, ludo, sack race, and chair dancing, culminating in a gathering on Friday.

Adding his voice to the call for support, Alhaji Bance Musah Osmane, an old student of State Boys School, who chaired the occasion and is also a former parliamentary candidate for Manso Nkwanta constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stressed that the government alone cannot solve all the school's problems.

Alhaji Osman who donated GH¢10,000 and paid for the anniversary launch fee amounting to about GH¢1,400, while appealing to individuals blessed by God, especially old students, to contribute to the school's development during its 80th anniversary.

He expressed pride in the achievements of many old students, including himself, and urged everyone to join hands in supporting a facelift for the school, envisioning renovated buildings and an attractive environment to admit more pupils.