Teachers trek through the forest to teach under trees

As Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark World Teachers Day today October 5, 2017, on the global theme :"Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers", Ultimate News highlights the plight of some teachers teaching in the "Jungle” community of Tsremati Yoyim M/A School in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.

Tsremati Yoyim has been without classroom three years after the dilapidated School building collapsed.

School Pupils have since been compelled to learn under five mango trees each serving as a classroom while other classes including KG are held in a small church building of the Pentecost Church.

Ultimate News’ Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah who trekked on a nervous journey through the rocky mountainous -forest to the community Wednesday with teachers, some of whom have been teaching in the school for over six years, reports that pupils as young as four years, study under trees despite the unfriendly environment.

Teaching and learning have not been effective due to multiple unfriendly environmental factors.

The school has no blackboard hence tables and church walls are used as blackboards.

A deplorable room of the chief of the community serves as the office where the few teaching and learning materials available are kept.

The condition of the school has discouraged many parents from enrolling their children in school and rather using them in farming activities.

The Headmaster of the School, Tamatey Benjamin Kweku told Ultimate News the School does not have even a single classroom hence teaching and learning are done under trees, therefore whenever it rains, the school has to close.

He said several efforts made for government intervention have fallen on deaf ears.

SMC chairman

The School Management Committee chairman, Ayeh Joseph said the community resolved not to take part in the 2016 election forcing the then government through the district Assembly to deceptively award a contract for the construction of the school.

Sacrifice by teachers

Tsremati Yoyim M/A Primary School has eight teachers all staying at Nkrukan, a community which is far away from the school due to lack of teachers accommodation. There is no road leading to the community compelling teachers including a nursing mother to trek every day through the jungles of the forest on rocky -mountains to school.

The situation at Tsremati Yoyim M/A Primary School is in sharp contrast to 1992 constitution of Ghana, which stipulates that the state shall provide educational facilities at all levels in all the regions of Ghana, and shall to the greatest extent feasible, make those facilities available to all citizens.

It is also at variance with the Sustainable Development Goal 4 which enjoins governments to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.