Bimbilla: Juasi R/C Primary School Faces Furniture, Learning Materials, and Structure Challenges

The lack of furniture at the Juasi R/C Primary School in the Nanumba North Municipality of the Northern Region has compelled pupils to sit on the bare floor to learn. The situation according to the pupils is affecting the quality of teaching and learning in the School.

They said it has also reduced school attendance because most parents are reluctant to allow their children to come to school due to the situation.

MX24 News visit to the school revealed that there isn’t a single chair at the Kindergarten (KG) where the children sat on the bare floor with a few others sitting on stones and bowls while others stand to study.

The lack of furniture isn’t only a challenge the school is facing, the structure has no windows, and doors thereby exposing children to harsh weather during lessons or any time it rains or sunrise.

The old dilapidated structure has also become a haven place for criminals who take advantage of the school for bad practices while animals urinate and sheets inside the classrooms making sanitary conditions in the school bad.

Ghana, having signed Sustainable Development Goal 4 which calls for ensuring equitable quality education for all, is thus far from achieving this considering the deficit in furniture at Juasi R/C Primary School where the pupils are denied access to quality education.

Some of the pupils who spoke to MX24 News complained about their uniforms being dirty as a result of them lying and sitting on the bare floor to write for long hours. They added that it also results in some of them getting back pain in their bodies.

“We are not happy with this condition. We have been lying on our bellies because we do not have furniture in our classrooms. Sometimes we lose concentration during classes because of this condition, sometimes you will get home feeling body pain”.

Ndoonbi John is a class six pupil and he said they feel neglected and been denied their right to equal and quality education in the area.

“We want the authorities or benevolent organizations to come to our aid by providing us with furniture so that we can take studies seriously, we are also Ghanaian children and deserve better education,” he said.

Another student Nsuipii Nbe-Eleni lamented the lack of textbooks, and other teaching materials in the school adding that they do not also have uniforms resulting in many of them wearing inappropriate dresses to school.

Sanja Mercy is a National Service Personnel in the school and she tells MX24 News that the furniture challenge is a long-time problem that has not been addressed. According to her, she finds it difficult to handle the children because they sit scattered around.

She said the open nature of the school structure does not allow the children to concentrate during lessons as some of them sometimes jump over the windows to play outside resulting in some of them getting hurt.

“We don’t have furniture in the classrooms. I have close to a hundred children in KG alone and none of these children have a place to sit and learn, it has been difficult managing them” she lamented.

“Because there are no chairs for the children to sit sometimes you will be teaching and a child will jump over the window to play outside, all our windows and doors are broken down if the sun scotches you will see the children complaining and some abandoning classes and go home, In fact, it’s very bad and we need a helper.

Madam Mercy also said the bad nature of the school is not motivating enough as most parents prefer their children to help them at farms than bring them to school.

“School attendance has greatly reduced because some of the students have stopped coming to school and sometimes you will be sitting in a class and a parent will come and call his or her child to go to the farm” she added.

Madam Mercy thus appealed to the Nanumba North Municipal Assembly, the Member of Parliament, and other benevolence organizations to come to their aid.

Makor Suiison is a community member and he said the dilapidated school structure was not encouraging teachers to come to the school.

He said teachers leave as far as Bimbilla town and by the time they report to school precious hours to teach the children are lost.

Mr. Suiison however said the attempt by the community to stop teacher absenteeism in the school decided to build four-bedroom teachers’ quarters but the project has been stalled due to a lack of funds and appealed for it to be completed.

“All the teachers stay in Bimbilla town which is bout three hours from here and by the time they come to school it will be late, our children are losing a lot we need help,” he said.

SOURCE: Simon Unyan, Northern Regional Content Manager, MX24 TV