Tamale: The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly has distributed 1,170 dual desks to 29 basic schools throughout the metropolis to tackle the persistent shortage of furniture and enhance the learning environment for pupils.
According to Ghana News Agency, this initiative is supported by the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) as part of the government's broader commitment to improving educational infrastructure and ensuring that pupils have access to adequate classroom furniture. The beneficiary schools include Kaladan Primary 'C', Dabokpa Failiya Islamic Primary, Nawariya Islamic Primary, Nakpanzoo Methodist Primary, and Mahadil-Hudaa Islamic Primary, among others.
Alhaji Adam Abubakari Takoro, Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, stated during the handing over ceremony that the distribution fulfills a campaign commitment made by the National Democratic Congress ahead of the 2024 general election to address the furniture deficit in schools. He mentioned that the government has directed Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to allocate at least 10% of their Common Fund resources towards providing furniture for schools, especially in rural and underserved communities.
Alhaji Takoro detailed that the furniture distribution would occur in three phases. The first phase involves the supply of 1,170 dual desks, comprising 770 desks for upper primary pupils and 400 desks for lower primary pupils. The second phase will distribute 1,140 mono desks to Junior High Schools and some Senior High Schools, while the third phase will focus on providing octagon tables for kindergarten pupils. The Assembly has adopted a furniture supply policy that matches the type of furniture to the educational level of learners.
He further explained that the furniture is being procured with funds from the assembly's 2025 Common Fund and assured residents that similar interventions would continue annually to progressively eliminate the furniture deficit in schools across the metropolis. The program is expected to continue beyond 2028 until the furniture needs of schools within the metropolis are adequately addressed.
Mr. Nelson Naakiniib Konlan, Tamale Metropolitan Director of Education, received the furniture on behalf of the beneficiary schools and expressed appreciation to the Assembly for the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution towards addressing the furniture challenges confronting schools in the metropolis. He noted that the support would improve teaching and learning conditions in the beneficiary schools and help create a more conducive environment for academic work.
Mr. Konlan highlighted that maintenance remains a major challenge and urged teachers and school authorities to ensure the furniture is properly used and protected to guarantee its longevity. He pointed out that schools in the Tamale Metropolis currently face an estimated 90% furniture deficit, with existing furniture meeting only about 10% of actual demand. He expressed optimism that the newly distributed desks would significantly improve the situation in the beneficiary schools and contribute to reducing the overall furniture gap within the metropolis.