What do we really mean when we say education is a universal right?
That is the question on our minds tonight as we bring you pictures from the Adjen Kotoku MA Basic school right here in the greater Accra region.
Students study in an uncompleted structure shielded by palm fronds to protect them from unmerciful sun rays.
Come along as Serwaa Amihere shows you what else she found when she visited the school.
The Adjen kotoku MA Basic School, is the only public school in the Kotoku electoral area.
The lower primary built in 1949 by the presby church became inadequate to serve the educational needs of children in the area. A benevolent organization therefore built a junior high school for the electoral area. Growth in population called for an expansion in the educational infrastructure.
And so a directive from government to the Municipal Assemby saw the construction of this 6 unit classroom block.
But the building was abandoned at the foundation level. The children who could not be accommodated in the earlier school built by the Presby church therefore had to rely on this makeshift facility provided by the pta as their classroom.
The children were made to carry palm fronds from home, to put up this structure and the pta provided some roofing sheets.
And so sadly a student population of over 500 students study under ripped roof over palm fronds.
The school has been partitioned with wood and bamboo sticks to serve as classrooms for classes 1 to 6.
The partition is only to chest level. The environment is just not conducive for learning as whatever happens in one class escapes to the other classes. The middle classrooms are worst for wear as they are bombarded with noise from classrooms both to their left and right. The students find it hard to concentrate when all six teachers are at post as their voices carry from one class to the other during lessons.
Children whose parents can afford carry their own chairs from home just to be a little comfortable.
Georgina and Ishmeal Banoe are among those fortunate enough to bring their own chairs from home.
The less than ideal situation is weighing on many parents, some of whom told us off camera they preferred to keep their wards at home than to bring them to such an environment to study.
The chairperson of the parent teacher association, Pearl Palms sent out an SOS.
Sustainable development goal 4 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. But the infrastructural challenges of adjen kotoku defeat the principles of access, equity and quality education.
How long will it take for these students to get a comfortable learning place.
Municipal Chief Executive of Ga West, Clement Wilkinson could not tell. He confirms there’s money for the project but he cannot touch it until the right processes are followed.
So until the tender committee meets and a budget is drawn, the pupils of Adjen Kotoku M /A Basic School will continue to learn under terrible conditions.
(Serwaa Amihere, GHOne News.)
