288 Bepotim school pupils study under trees
Academic work at the Bepotim M/A Basic School in the Wenchi Municipality of the Bono Region hangs in the balance as classes have to be abandoned anytime the clouds gather because the 288 kindergarten (KG) and primary school pupils are currently learning under trees.
Authorities of the school have no option but to resort to teaching the pupils under trees around the school because the dilapidated temporary structure in which classes are held has collapsed and become a death trap to the pupils since May, 2020.
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The situation has compelled the headteacher, executives of the School Management Committee (SMC) and the Parent-Teacher Association to send a save our souls (SOS) message to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to put in measures to save the situation.
Some of the pupils learning under a tree.
SOS letter
A letter written by the head teacher of the school, Mr Larry Salifu, and addressed to the Wenchi Municipal Director of Education sighted by the Daily Graphic, detailed the extent of problems being encountered as a result of the prevailing situation in the school.
Under the heading: “Collapse of temporary school block”, the letter, which was also copied to the Member of Parliament for Wenchi, indicated that the temporary structure collapsed on May 24, 2020.
“The above situation has compelled pupils to learn under trees around the school leaving them at the mercy of the bad weather, especially in this rainy season,” the letter stated, adding that “the community is financially handicapped.”
The head teacher, therefore, appealed to the municipal director of education to liaise with the Wenchi Municipal Assembly for the construction of a complete six-unit decent classroom block for the community.
He said another problem facing the school was the lack of furniture for both pupils and teachers, explaining that : “This situation has militated against academic work in the school as pupils lie down on their stomachs to write during teaching and learning.”
Vehicle distraction
When the Daily Graphic reached out to Mr Salifu, he explained that since Bepotim was located on the main Wenchi-Buoku Highway and the school was by the roadside, the attention of the pupils was always distracted by the sound of vehicles passing by.
He added that when there was rainfall during the learning period “we are compelled to either push the KG and primary pupils into the JHS classrooms or ask them to go home.
The authorities of the school are not only appealing to the Wenchi Municipal Assembly and MP for the area but also to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals to come to the aid of the school to ensure smooth teaching and learning.
When the Public Relations Officer of the Wenchi Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr David Baffoe, was contacted, he confirmed the directorate had received the letter from authorities of the Bepotim M/A Basic Schools which detailed the predicament of the KG and primary sections.
“Already the Wenchi Municipal Assembly has constructed a three-unit classroom for the Junior Secondary School (JSS) section,” he explained, adding that a covering letter had been put on the letter from the head teacher of the Bepotim M/A Basic School and forwarded to the assembly for the necessary action."