Established in 1972, the Bolgatanga Model Preparatory School in Zaare in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region gained popularity for its academic excellence, sports, and great performance during the Independence Day parade.
Though a public school, standards at the school were high and could be compared to the education now being offered by private schools. This development made the school the preferred school for many especially the elite class who had their children attend the school.
In the early days, the school had a bus that transported children to and from school with special hot meals served to pupils which attracted many kids.
The high standards set at the school compelled residents of Zaare who felt the school was a preserve of the elite demonstrate to have their kids included.
The Bolgatanga Model Preparatory School later became a pale shadow of its previous glory as the structures decades later started deteriorating with the school suffering serious erosion.
The school started battling furniture challenges and as many schools have since moved away from using chalkboards to marker boards, some classrooms at Preparatory are still using chalkboards.
The Junior High School Block deteriorated to a point that authorities felt it had become a death trap and evacuated the pupils. The structure was later examined by engineers who approved it for continued usage despite its deplorable state.
It is on this score that authorities at the school, old students, and parents are hoping to reclaim the school’s previous glory.
As part of the school’s 50th Anniversary marked on Friday 4th November 2022, old students of the school, months ahead renovated two classroom blocks, and an administration block and provided 20 computers to the school.
In her address, the Headmistress of the Primary school who spoke on behalf of teachers and heads of both primary and Junior High Schools, Catherine Assibi Nyaaba noted that the school has consistently been part of the top five best-performing public schools in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
She explained that the school is suffering many challenges including poor infrastructure, furniture, and encroachment of school land amongst others.
“The school for more than three decades has not received any major renovations since its establishment leading to leakages in the roof, cracked and dirty walls with corroding iron rods which have become very visible and could endanger the lives of people and teachers alike. This is even more evident at the JHS department building which was declared a death trap for students.
In addition, the furniture for both teachers and students is very inadequate with some students having to bring their own chairs and desk from home a typical day would see more than two students fetching a mono desk as a result of this development and I must say it’s heavily affected teaching and learning as students cannot gain for concentration during lessons.
Another very recurrent problem in the school is the serious erosion that happens around the school and its immediate environment which affects the school structures. The problem of encroachment is fast affecting the school due to our inability to get funding to build a wall to protect the school land,” she cried out.
The interim President of the Old Students’ Association, William Kow Dadzie recounts the solid educational foundation they had.
He further explained the decision of some of the old students to pull resources together to renovate some blocks of school as they appeal to others to support in raising funds to give a facelift to other yet-to-be-renovated structures worked on.
“We had a good time because then regional administration was very concerned about the school; we had free lunch we had a bus that picked from home to school and back and so we were like a family.
So, we decided to come back and use the 50th anniversary to do something for the school because it was captured in the media, and constantly, people were asking us why we allowed our school to deteriorate and we decided to mobilize money to renovate the administration block, two classroom blocks and donated 20 computers.
While I commend those who donated, I want to appeal to others to join and we help renovate the remaining blocks,” the interim President appealed.
