St John’s Grammar School cries for drains
The absence of drains at the St John’s Grammar School at Achimota has resulted in the flooding of parts of the school compound any time there is a downpour in Accra.
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Generally, during heavy rains, the school compound, the Science Laboratory, the Records Room and some classrooms get inundated.
When this happens on a week day, academic activities automatically come to a halt.
Over the years, books and stationery, as well as large volumes of academic records, particularly those on past students, have been lost to the floods.
Appeal
Some teachers and students of the school have, therefore, appealed to the government to construct drains in the school to save it from periodic flooding and the attendant disruption of school activities and destruction of valuables.
The Headmaster, Mr Emmanuel Fiemawle, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the school experienced flooding whenever it rained heavily.
He said the academic records of students who completed the school in the 1980s and 90s had been destroyed by the floods.
He said students and teachers were unable to access some of the classrooms when there was a downpour, adding that the situation affected the academic calendar of the school.
Other challenges
On other challenges facing the school, he said the assembly hall needed to be expanded, while permanent accommodation had to be provided for the headmaster, as well as the members of staff.
He was, however, grateful to the government for constructing an 18-unit block to accommodate some of the students.
Achievements
In spite of its challenges, Mr Fiemawle said, the school, which began with four students, could now boast more than 2,000 students.
The headmaster said the school had staff strength of 78 teachers and 39 non-teaching staff members.
He said products of the school were playing various roles in the development of the country as lawyers, medical doctors, engineers, bankers, pastors, politicians, journalists, educationists, and members of the security forces, among other professionals.
