From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor.
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The management of the Mampong-Akuapem Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS) has launched a passionate appeal to the government to quickly come to their aid, since unfolding events in the school did not create the appropriate environment for quality teaching and learning.
According to the management, they feel disappointed that only 12 unit classrooms and two teachers’ bungalow have been provided by the government since the school was absorbed into the public system some 23 years ago.
Speaking to the Eastern File, the Headmaster of the school, Rev. Ebenezer Tetteh Akusaki, expressed his displeasure over the way the school had been neglected by governments, and enquired how a school with a population of 1,860, made up of 909 boys and 951 girls, could only boast of a six-seater Kumasi Ventilated Improve Pit (KVIP) for the girls and eight-seater for the boys.
He hinted that this development, coupled with other matters, pose serious health concerns, since the students have to be in a long queue every morning when they want to respond to nature’s call. Rev. Akusaki stressed that those who could not be in the long queue consider the free range method, and reduce any available space on the compound to a place of convenience, which, if not addressed immediately, could lead to outbreaks of diseases.
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Throwing light on the water situation in the school, the Headmaster claimed that the school was initially set up to offer formal education to students from the Akuapem area, but now admits students from all parts of the country, leading to an increased student population, with its corresponding water challenges.
He disclosed that, so far, only two out of five boreholes drilled by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, philanthropists and the school to resolve the intermittent water supply, are functioning, this, coupled with other factors, compels the students to walk a distance of over one kilometre every day to fetch water from a nearby stream for their personal use.
This, management bemoaned, did not only produce an opportunity for wayward students to run to town, but also exposed them to a lot of danger, while robbing them off valuable time for academic work. The Mampong-Akuapem Presby Headmaster was full of praise for the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for various developmental projects, including classroom blocks, dormitories, and toilets facilities among others.
According to him, the school has survived on the wings of the PTA for the past 23 years, through the construction of a one-storey double apartment girls’ dormitory, and a similar, but lager, boys’ dormitory. Others include the building of the Senior Housemaster’s residence, a one-storey classroom block with space for a library, and construction of a shed, which is currently being used as a dining hall and a place for social gatherings.
Touching on the contributions of the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Headmaster further expressed his gratitude for the key role it was playing in the development of the school. He disclosed that the SRC had constructed a four-capacity modern barber’s shop in the school to trim students’ hair, a development that has reduced the movement of students to town for that purpose.
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According to the Headmaster, the vision and mission of the management of the schoo, which was to produce scholars whose foundation would be uprightness and honesty, and who see the sky as a springboard and not a limit, would be a mirage if the necessary environment for quality teaching and learning were not provided. According to the Headmaster the roughest of roads, often leads to the top, adding that despite the numerous challenges facing the school, it continues to make remarkable strides in its academic pursuits. Out of the 908 students presented in 2013 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), 325 passed in all eight subjects, 321 in seven, 175 passed in six, 63, 16, 2 and 1 passed in five, four, three and one respectively, with five students absent.
Despite disappoint in the government, the Headmaster was quick to praise it for supplying the school with 50 laptops, as well as internet connectivity, and equipping the science laboratory with modern scientific equipment. Meanwhile, a 20-seater water closet, which is under construction through house dues paid by the students, has come to standstill, because the accrued funds could not continue the project, let alone complete it. The students have, therefore, called on corporate bodies and individuals to assist its management meet their needs.