Kelfiensi: Residents of Kelfiensi in the Lambussie District have appealed to the government to urgently construct classrooms and provide teachers to enhance effective teaching and learning at the Kelfiensi D/A Basic School. The school, which serves over 100 learners from Basic One to Basic Six, currently has only two teachers and lacks proper classroom facilities, forcing pupils to learn under trees.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Seidu Sulemana, the School Management Committee (SMC) Chairperson for the Kelfiensi D/A Basic School, highlighted that the lack of teachers and adequate facilities has led to poor academic performance and a decline in the school's population. He noted that some parents have withdrawn their children due to these issues, opting instead to send them to the nearest school in Nawie or stopping their education altogether.
Mr. Sulemana explained that the scarcity of classrooms has made it challenging to attract and retain teachers, many of whom seek transfers to schools with better facilities. This has significantly hindered the school's academic performance. He recounted that the Kelfiensi Basic School began as a community initiative in 2011, using grass tents as classrooms and employing Senior High School graduates as volunteer teachers. The community funded these volunteer teachers until the government took over in 2015 and assigned teachers to the school.
The SMC Chairperson revealed that the community's efforts to provide quality education were severely set back when a mud structure, built to serve as classrooms, collapsed during heavy rains last season. This structure, funded and built by community members, had initially attracted children who would otherwise have had to travel long distances to Nawie. Unfortunately, its collapse left the school without classrooms, forcing students to continue learning outdoors.
Mr. Sulemana stated, "We are rebuilding another structure, but we are totally exhausted, and we are sincerely in need of help to have a proper structure for our children to enhance teaching and learning." He emphasized the critical need for urgent intervention to improve the educational infrastructure at the school.
Some parents expressed their frustrations, stating, "We have been contributing funds until the government took over, so we are expecting that at least building a befitting structure for the school now should be the responsibility of the government and not parents." They recounted their efforts in establishing temporary grass sheds and later a mud structure, both of which could not withstand severe weather conditions.
Mrs. Esther Porekuu, the Headmistress of Kelfiensi D/A Basic School, corroborated Mr. Sulemana's concerns, noting that the lack of infrastructure often forces the school to close during inclement weather, disrupting the academic calendar.
Mr. Kyibe-imuo Isaac, the Assemblyman for the Kelfiensi Electoral Area, expressed similar concerns and mentioned his repeated but unfulfilled appeals to the district assembly for assistance. He called on stakeholders to aid in constructing a classroom block for the school.
When visited by the Ghana News Agency, pupils were found sitting on blocks under sheanut trees with inadequate furniture and only two teachers present. Mr. Naawulle Ireneous Basingbie, the Lambussie District Chief Executive, assured that the Assembly is taking steps to address the situation and is seeking support from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to construct a classroom block for the school.