Nabdam MP bemoans falling educational standards

Mr Boniface Gambila, New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Upper East Region, said the falling standards of education, especially in the Talensi/Nabdam District, should be a concern for all.

He said it was appalling to see pupils in the district without classrooms and studying under trees.

Mr Gambila said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday.

He said Wawa boards were still used to construct classroom blocks at Congo Senior High School (SHS), the only SHS in Nabdam, while educational projects initiated by former President John Agyekum Kufuor had been abandoned by the District Assembly.

He called on the Government to upgrade schools with wooden structures in rural communities and improve water and sanitation to enable the students have time for their studies instead of queuing for water while classes went on.

"The SHS has a borehole which I am going to mechanize for the students to reduce their burden," he said.

Mr Gambila mentioned the lack of Anti Snake Serum in the district as one of the major problems as residents often died of snake bite and called on the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to immediately make the Serum available to health facilities there.

He said even though private pharmaceutical shops had the Serum it was very expensive.

He mentioned poor road network as a problem that affects agriculture, health and general economic activities, adding, "Roads which were supposed to be tarred in 2009 are still left untarred up till now."

He appealed to the District Assembly to work with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to extend electricity and street lighting system from Asonge Zanlerugu to Sakote and from Peilungu to Nangode to ensure security and safe economic activities.