Teachers Refuse Posting To Deplorable Akenkase Sch.; Pupils Hopeless

Teachers are refusing postings to Akenkase M/A Basic School due to the deplorable condition of the school.

The school located in Kwaebibirim District in the Eastern region currently has a student population of 300. However, only 2 teachers are at post at the primary level and the same number at the Junior High School.

Most of the teachers have over the years taken transfers to different schools in the district as the condition in the school continues to deteriorate.

Also, the lack of teachers’ bungalows in the community is a demotivation as teachers had to trek several miles every day to school.

Akenkase M/A Basic School was built with mud in 1983 through communal labour by the Community in their quest to make education accessible to their children.

It was subsequently absorbed by the Ghana Education Service. A few years ago, through communal labour the Community used the indigenous building method to construct a JHS block.

However, the school has not seen any major renovation hence the condition of the school building has deteriorated and nearing collapse.
The school building is riddled with deep cracks and weathered while the roofs are in tatters.

For about 10 years now, Akenkase Basic School has not been supplied desks by GES hence the old damaged, with few salvaged by the carpenters in the community.

A desktop computer provided by the Community to the school to improve the teaching of ICT is in danger of damage due to the lack of a laboratory.
Veronica Tawiah PTA Chairman said several letters have been sent to the Kwaebibirim District, and Ghana Education Service, however, nothing has been done about it.

She said the inadequate teachers in the school is a great worry to parents as quality of teaching has declined drastically.

Some parents appealed to the government to come to the aid of the school by constructing classroom blocks and posting teachers to the school. They also appealed for the supply of teaching and learning materials and desks.

Quality education at the basic school level in Eastern Region continues to deteriorate due to multiple factors including low investment infrastructure, inadequate TLMs, and teachers in rural parts of the country.

For instance, a total of 27,561 candidates representing fifty-six percent (56%) of candidates in the Eastern region who wrote the 2020 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) failed.

Statistical analysis of the performance of the candidates commissioned by the Eastern Regional Directorate of Ghana Education Service (GES) indicates that, only 21,655 candidates out of a total of 49,216 candidates who wrote the examination passed by securing an aggregate of 6 to 30.

Students who obtained an aggregate of 6 in the region were 247 made up of 110 boys and 137 girls.

Out of the total of 2001 schools that participated in all 33 Districts and Municipalities, 24 schools in 13 districts/Municipalities recorded Zero percent (0%). The district with schools that recorded zero percent were Kwaebibirim (4), Akyemansa (4), Abuakwa South (3), West Akim(3) Asene Manso -Akroso(2), New Juaben North (1), Yilo Krobo(1), Upper West Akyem(1), Kwahu South (1), Achiase(1), Fanteakwa South(1), Afram Plains North (1), Kwahu South (1), and Okere (1).

Source: Asaase Radio