400 students of YIKROSEC crammed into wooden structure meant for 100

Authorities of the Yilo Krobo Senior High School (YIKROSEC) in the Eastern Region are appealing to the government to help expand its infrastructural facilities to ease congestion in the school’s dormitories.

They said there has been overcrowding in the dormitories which has been posing as a threat to the health of the students.

Also worrying is the inadequate furniture for the student body.

Due to this situation, students are forced to spread out their mattresses onto the floor for the lack of enough due beds.

The congestion comes in the wake of an increasing number of students in the school and authorities say the dire challenges confronting the school require urgent attention.

In an interview with GhanaWeb, Assistant headmaster of YIKROSEC in charge of administration, Reverend Kwadwo Oduro Mensah, noted that these challenges were hampering effective teaching and learning, and called for support for the school.

“There are a whole lot of challenges including where the boys will sleep is a challenge, they are sleeping in wooden structures which to me is not the best…that structure is supposed to take 100 students but at the moment we have more than 400 students and others also sleep on the floor which to me is a big challenge,” he said.

The situation, he added, was not conducive especially in the wake of the COVID-19 and stressed that it had the potential to prevent students who intend to study at night from doing so.

Though the situation has been reported to the Ghana Education Service, the assistant headmaster stated assistance is yet to arrive.

According to him, accommodation for teachers was also another difficulty.

He said about 70% of tutors have been forced to reside outside campus which is not ideal for effective teaching.

“We also have a challenge in terms of where to get accommodation for teachers and so about 70% of teachers come from outside which to me is not the best and this is why we are asking the public to come to our aid in terms of such structures and the rest,” he appealed.

To give the school the needed facelift, he further appealed for funds to lay pavement blocks on walkways in the school and other projects.

The Sipim of Manya-Aklomuase in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Dr. Narh Terkpertey II, who responded to the appeal of the school by visiting to access the challenges confronting it, presented 25 bags of cement towards the laying of pavement blocks on the campus.

According to him, it is the responsibility of every indigene to support the development of the educational institutions to enable them execute their mandates efficiently.

“We have a lot of leaders over here so anybody who hears of the plight of the school must come on board and contribute their quota towards addressing the infrastructural deficit in the schools in the locality which remain the property of the people,” he said.

He also added that he would continue to solicit support from other stakeholders towards supporting the facility.