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15-year-old Awal Mohammed is a final year student of Konadu Yiadom M/A Basic School, located in the Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
Established over two-decades ago, Awal recounts how inadequate furniture in his school is worsening their plight especially at the beginning of a new academic year.
“You’ll find teachers struggling to get us chairs and tables to sit especially during mock exams”, Awal said. “Sometimes some sit on the floor whiles others stand”.
The situation was no different at the St. Anne’s Anglican Primary ‘A’ School. For 16-year-old Benedicta Owusu, although the government and other stakeholders have been doing their best, enough has not been done to save the situation.
“For me we have been receiving funding from old students and other benefactors to address our furniture challenge but that has not been enough especially when the number of pupils being admitted is increasing by the period”, Benedicta said. “And you see Covid-19 is at bay and we want to strictly adhere to social distancing which is part of the safety protocols but we’ve been exposed due to congestion”.
MP’s intervention
But there appears to be a swift intervention by the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, following requests from the schools through the Metropolitan Directorate of the Ghana Education Service.
On Friday, July 9, 2021, the lawmaker –who takes delight to be in his Constituency to interact and address concerns of the people –presented furniture to selected Basic Schools and one Senior High School.
“I think one of the jobs that the MP is expected to do is to help in mobilizing resources for some of these things in the community…We want to ensure that the kids in Manhyia are not left out because of poverty or anything else” Dr. Opoku Prempeh, said as reiterated his commitment to improving the lives of the people in his Constituency.
“The other part of it is that our teachers also need some form of capacity building. When you provide furniture and computers for the kids, we will also ensure that a capacity programme for the teachers also happens”, Napo, as he is affectionately called assured.
The donation included 52 Hexagonal Tables for KG, 510 Mono Desks for JHS, 300 Dual Desks for Primary Schools, and 400 Foreign Desks for Serwaa Nyarko Girls’ Senior High School.
While encouraging all schools in the Constituency not to relent on their efforts, the MP urged the Heads of these schools to ensure the proper care of the items to promote effective learning.
Mr. David Oppong who received the items on behalf of the Ghana Education Service (GES) thanked the legislator for the kind gesture.
Dignitaries present at the short ceremony also included Mr Martin Addis Fordjour – Head of Supervision, GES, Kumasi, Mr Asante Twum, and other officials of the GES.
All six Assemblymen, pupils and students as well as other party members were at the event.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH