Asibi (not her real name) had pictured the exhilarating experiences she was sure to have when she set out to report to the Bongo Senior High School as a fresher. She had imagined making new friends, studying hard and excelling in end of semester examinations and the West African Senior School certificate Examination she would be sitting in three years time.
Not for once did it occur to her that something as basic as furniture could be become a stumbling block and a threat to her academic dream – not when the government, for political reasons, has redirected its attention and resources to the SHS level to the detriment of particularly the basic level.
But as she sits on the bare floor in Arts C class with her eyes peering through the window, she struggles to come to terms with the harsh reality that faces her now.
“It is difficult sitting on the floor to learn,” she lamented. “They say Free SHS but we don’t have desks to sit on”.
Far from the well-furnished classroom she had dreamt of walking into, she and her colleagues were greeted with a hollow room with few remnants of broken furniture. The lack of furniture in their classroom is not isolated.
For the whole of the General Arts One and Science One blocks, there is no single piece of furniture except the remnants of broken ones. So, most of the students perch on the bare floor with their legs stretch forward as tables for writing while some climb onto the windows with their legs hanging loosely and their books placed on their knees.
The few, who are privileged under the circumstances, sit on the furniture remnants, others on gallons they brought from the dormitories.
When class is not in session, they stand on their feet or hang around outside the classroom. “I’m not happy,” another student said. She was not just saying it. It was written all over her face.
Students ask to bring their own desks
Of the long list of items in the prospectus they are required to bring to school, furniture is not included. However, upon arriving at Bongo SHS, the freshers say they have been asked by school management to get themselves furniture.
“They didn’t even tell us there is no furniture in the school. It was when we came that they said that there are no desks in the school so we have to bring our own,” she said worriedly.
But this student is not just worried about the fact that she has no furniture to sit on. She is not sure her parents will be able to provide her furniture any time soon looking at their poor economic situation.
If they cannot get her desk within this period, she has only two options – to either stay away from school until when they are able to or continue to endure the discomforting situation.
Though furniture deficit has become a major challenge confronting children’s education in Ghana, the problem did not extend to the second cycle level: it was only a challenge at the basic level mostly blamed on government’s overconcentration on second cycle education.
However, due to the implementation of the Free SHS policy that has opened up accessibility and seen enrolment more than doubled, student population in some schools has exceeded the available number of desks. And such is the situation in Bongo SHS.
But when contacted for his comments on the issue, the Headmaster for Bongo SHS, who gave his name as Luis, claimed he was not aware that freshers did not have furniture to sit on and promised to immediately probe the matter and get back with his findings.
About an hour later, he phoned this reporter, whose contact he had taken, explaining that “some” of the students have desks but left them at the dormitories because the classrooms are not properly secured. His explanation, however, is contrary to the reality in the school.
A far worst situation at Zamse SH/TS
At the Zamse Senior/Technical School, the situation is even bizzarre. Freshers there are compelled to occupy a structure yet to be completed and without furniture. The structure is being built as part of the GetFund emergency projects to address infrastructural deficit due to the increased enrollment numbers.
But as the newly placed students continue to troop in, the school soon ran out of space and had to accommodate them in the uncompleted structure and without desks.
On the dusty untiled floor of the uncompleted building, some students sit with their legs stretched out in similar fashion as their Bongo SHS counterparts while others lean against the wall.
Prof. Ephraim Avea Nsoh, an educationist and a former Upper East Regional Minister, while describing the situation as “intolerable” and “unheard of”, said it is an indictment on the entire system. He blames it squarely on the “porous” implementation of the Free SHS policy, which he said will be resolved if the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) wins the December 7 elections.
“It is an indictment on the whole system,” said Prof. Aveah Nsoh.
He, though, believes the situation will persist till power changes hand because, to him, the government does not seem to be interested in addressing such challenges except scoring political capital with well-rehearsed rhetorics.
In the meantime, Prof. Avea Nsoh appeals to Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) to intervene.
