KEY POINTS
- Pupils at a school in Mion are studying in unsafe conditions.
- The school’s deteriorating structure threatens student safety and academic performance.
- Community leaders are calling on the government to renovate the school immediately.
Pupils at the Tinsung Fathul-Mubeen Islamic Primary School in Ghana’s Mion District are learning in hazardous circumstances, and their safety is seriously threatened by the building’s degradation.
The mud-based structure, which was constructed by the local community over 40 years ago, is disintegrating, with the roof and walls breaking apart.
The learning environment is negatively hampered by the school’s severely deteriorated infrastructure, particularly during rainy seasons.
The school is risky for both students and staff because of the roof’s deterioration over time and the possibility of its collapse, as well as the makeshift windows that expose classrooms to inclement weather.
Urgent need for renovations
Despite these conditions, students are expected to sit for the same national exams as their peers in better-equipped schools across Ghana.
The disparity has raised concerns about equality in education, as pupils in Tinsung face significant academic disadvantages.
Community leaders have called on local and national authorities to take immediate action to renovate the school. Dauda Sumailai, Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), expressed frustration over the neglect, saying that no government has stepped in to improve the school since it was built.
“We’ve been told to send our children to school, but the current structure isn’t fit for learning,” Sumailai said. “We need proper facilities, or our children will continue to suffer.”
Teachers and pupils struggle in harsh conditions
Due to inadequate accommodations, many teachers have refused to remain in the area, which has further harmed teacher retention. With only four teachers currently on duty to oversee more than 300 pupils, teacher shortages have become a persistent problem.
According to Graphic Online, a teacher at the school named Tinalibei Jijiri Yildana described how academic achievement is further hampered by the absence of basic amenities like furniture and teaching supplies.
“It saddens me every time I walk into the classroom,” he stated. “I studied in this school under the same poor conditions, and nothing has changed since.”
Pupils like Haruna Amidu, a basic six student, have voiced similar concerns. He shared how classes are often disrupted when it rains, and expressed frustration over the lack of resources.
“We have no proper desks, and the classroom is often too wet to study,” he said, calling for support from charitable organizations and the government.
Calls for government intervention
The Tinsung community feels abandoned as a result of the local authorities’ neglect.
The government and non-governmental groups are now being urged by the locals to help restore the school and provide the resources required to provide a secure learning environment for the kids.
Pupils at Tinsung Fathul-Mubeen Islamic Primary School will continue to be at serious danger for harm to their safety and education until something is done.
The community has made it plain that quick action is required to stop additional damage and make sure Tinsung’s children are not abandoned.
