Parents withdrawing wards from Adjikpo Dokuyo M/A Basic School over lack of furniture

Inadequate furniture at the Adjikpo Dokuyo M/A Basic School at Adjikpo, a suburb of Somanya in the Eastern Region is affecting academic work in the school.

Reports say most parents end up withdrawing their children from school as a result of the problem.

Despite a fairly good classroom block to boast of, most of the 200 pupils of the school currently have their lessons sitting on either rickety desks, on the bare floor or pieces of wood placed on blocks.

When GhanaWeb visited the school, some pupils were seen uncomfortably sitting on wobbly desks while others whose parents can afford to buy chairs sat on seats brought from home with yet others improvising blocks and stones as seats.

The situation at the KG department was no different with about five children crowded around a table meant for one while others, it was gathered were forced to write on the floor with chalk.

The absence of electricity supply also means teaching activities requiring power could not be undertaken.
Some teachers who spoke off record expressed deep concerns over the situation.

The school was established by a renowned Krobo prophetess known as Mame Dokuyo who later handed it over to the Ghana Education Service in 1971 and currently run by the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly.

Seyelor Kwaku Adamtey of Adjikpo Okper Nakuyo speaking in an interview said basic needs to efficiently operate the school were missing.

“The problems that this school is facing are numerous…luckily, they came to renovate the roofing but we’re left with the biggest challenge of furniture in the classroom,” said Mr. Adamtey.

Describing the situation as a big problem for teaching and learning in the school, the Seyelor said though the teachers were doing their best to enhance good academic results, this has not been the case as the school continues to record poor results, owing largely to the unenviable situation in the school.

The problem, he added is compelling parents to withdraw their wards from the school.

He expressed, “…you can see the enrolment, look at the very big classrooms with all the facilities quite okay but the basic things that will promote teaching and learning is what we’re facing now.”

He furthered that though some assistance was extended to the school following past appeals, the furniture supplied were so weak that they did not last.

Attempts to get parents to contribute towards mobilizing resources to partly address the problem, he said were met with stiff resistance from parents who argued that parents are not supposed to pay for their wards’ education.

He appealed to citizens of Adjipo around the world, former students of the Adjikpo Dokuyo M/A Basic School and the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly to come on board and support the school.

A parent and queenmother of the area, Manye Pehue in an interview said the situation was brought to the attention of parents in a meeting called by management of the school, adding that the situation was unacceptable.

“We were called into a meeting and told that the school was in distress over lack of furniture for the pupils and truly, when we entered the classrooms, there was nothing good to see. Some of our children were sitting on the floor with others sitting on blocks,” she said.

“This does not please us and we want authorities to come address this problem for us.”

A class three pupil, Batsa Bright said, “In this school, we don’t have tables and chairs, some of our chairs are spoilt. We do not have light, some of our windows are spoilt and our doors, our cupboard is not good.”

He appealed to government to come to the aid of the school.

The pupils are also deprived of recreational facilities and text books.

Circuit Supervisor for Somanya North, Obed Agbesi disclosed in an interview that the problem is not only peculiar with the Adjikpo Dokuyo M/A Basic School but a general problem in his circuit.

“That one is a general problem, almost all the schools in my circuit, not only my circuit but in the municipality, most of the schools do not have desks,” said the supervisor, adding that there had been no headway despite efforts to seek assistance.

According to him, the irregular school feeding programme in the school has also been a disincentive as most parents ended up withdrawing their wards.