The Ghana Education Service Directorate in the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region has publicly acknowledged receipt of One thousand, Seven-hundred and Fifty pieces of mono and dual desks from the Ministry of Education (MOE) through the District Assembly.
The Directorate made this known in an interview with Trust FM’s Agoo Ghana show on Monday, reacting to publications by the MOE that the government has distributed over one million pieces of furniture since 2017.
The Ministry of Education has said a total of 1,155,240 pieces of furniture were distributed between senior high and basic schools in the country.
According to the Ministry, while 925,793 pieces of furniture were shared among the secondary schools, 229,447 went to the public basic schools.
This was in a statement made by the Press secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Felix A. Baidoo.
Meanwhile, Mr. Deenu Victor, the Statistician for the Education Directorate in Upper Manya Krobo noted that only 40 of the total desks received were given to the Asesewa Senior High school. This he said was because the need assessment revealed that the school has less furniture deficit.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer for the Yilo Krobo Education Directorate, Mr Sackitey Solomon, on their part, said some quantities of mono and dual desks were received between 2017 and 2020.
Appealing to the Ministry of Education and philanthropists, Mr Sackitey said furniture deficit in the classrooms in the Yilo Krobo Municipality is affecting the quality of teaching and learning.
Furniture Situation at Basic Schools in Upper Manya Krobo
For a population of 4498 pupils in the Kindergarten (pre-school), 419 hexagonal tables are available, leaving a deficit of 727.
Even though these figures did not correspond, Mr Deenu stated that 5,984 dual desks are shared among 10,488 pupils in the primary schools, leaving furniture need of 2,603 to fill the gap.
With 3,328 students at the Junior High Schools in the District, 1,525 more desks are needed to augment the 2,239 available.
Mr. Victor who was delegated by the District Director of Education, Mrs Grace Adza Awudey to speak, noted that his office is expecting new deliveries since the last time consignment of furniture was received in the early days of 2022.
What is on the ground
Immediately after the Agoo Ghana interview with the Directorate, Trust FM visited Sointreso Methodist Primary School at Asasehene, a school not too far from the office of the Education Directorate, where parents were seeking admission for their children.
Some parents who spoke to reporters lamented the unavailability of furniture, causing them extra money to buy new or repair damaged furniture in the school for their wards use.
Madam Angmor Diana Akweley speaking to Trust FM recorders said, “when we came, the school said there was no furniture and so we needed to buy our own chair before she will be admitted. They later brought a disjoined table, asking me to repair it for my ward to use.”
She noted that 4 children were denied admission in her presence in that regard.
Lamenting the cost of items to buy for admission, Diana said the list issued to her would cost about Gh¢200.00 to afford.
On her part, Rebecca Agualey narrated a similar story adding that she was made to pay an amount of Gh¢13.00 before admission.
In what suggested to be verbal attack on the reporter, the school authority failed to react to the claims by the parents. However, an audio captured during the recording of Rebecca suggesting to be a female teacher of the school shows that the stated Gh¢13.00 was not for admission as claimed by the parent.
Efforts to get information from the school officials ended at the Kindergarten classroom, where two classes were combined for one teacher.
On the grounds of anonymity, a teacher admittedly said lack of furniture in the school forces the school to deny Children admission unless a parent could afford private furniture for their child.
Government Effort
Notwithstanding, a www.myjoyonline.com news report said, records available at the Education Ministry indicate that a total of 65,779 pieces of furniture were supplied to Basic Schools in the country in 2018, 54,000 was supplied by District Assembly Common Fund in 2020, 69,459 in 2021 while the distribution of 40,000 to Basic Schools for this year is currently underway.
The SHSs also received 65,779 furniture in 2018, 54,000 in 2020, 69,459 in 2021 while the distribution of 40,209 for this year is ongoing.
Source: www.trustfmonline.com/Trust 98.3 FM
