St. Fidelis SHS turns kitchen into dormitory due to infrastructure crisis

St.Fidelis Senior High Technical School in the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern region is facing serious infrastructural and logistical Challenges which is affecting the delivery of quality education to students.

The infrastructural Challenges has compelled school authorities to convert a kitchen to dormitory, merged classes, whilst students study in uncompleted building.

Dormitories are overcrowded compelling some students perch on a bed. The School has no dining hall hence using an improvised structure with a maximum seating capacity of fifty, therefore students eat in batches which always interrupts period for teaching and learning.

The inadequate desks and beds in the School sometimes create confusion as students rush to secure desks whenever there is a change lesson.

More depressing to note is that assemble of students is held under trees on campus due to lack of an Assembly Hall. Uniforms of students are sometimes soiled by droppings of birds which perch on the trees. Unexpected rainfall also disrupts such gatherings.

NO VEHICLE, STUDENTS TRANSPORTED ON MOTORBIKES

St.Fidelis SHTS has no school Bus and administrative Vehicle making it difficult for students to partake in competitions such as sports and other academic activities which requires busing of students. The only school Bus has broken down for years.

The Headmaster has no Vehicle for administrative and internal errands. A visit to the School by Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent, Kojo Ansah, in the company of some Assembly Members observed that Boarding students who suddenly fall sick are transported to Hospital on Motorbikes by their Teachers but at night, are carried at the back of their mates to Tease Presbyterian Clinic which is about 1km away.

NO FENCE WALL, GOATS, SHEEP, PASSERSBY INTERRUPT TEACHING

The School has not been fenced therefore domestic animals such as goats, sheep, fowls as well as other dangerous reptiles invade the school disrupting academic work whilst posing danger to the students.

The lack of fence wall does not only make it difficult for School Authorities to control the movement of students but also to ward off intruders creating high-security vulnerability on campus.

Meanwhile, almost all teachers in the school live outside campus due to lack of accommodation for teachers.

The Headmaster of the School was unavailable but the Assistant Headmaster declined comment rather directed that the Journalist speaks to the District Director of Ghana Education.

CHIEF APPEAL

The Krontihene of Pitiku Traditional Council, Nana Adu Parko II lamented that governments have neglected the school, sidelined it from GET FUND infrastructural projects and logistical supports such as a Bus.

He said the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy has increased enrollment with some students posted from across the country.

“It saddens my heart that this school has been neglected by the government but it is a very good school that many people from this area attended. The school has no Bus so students struggle to participate in activities outside the campus. Apart from this, the school needs additional infrastructure particularly dormitory and classroom. When I see these young girls staying on their own in rented rooms in town engaging in so many things, I get worried”.

Until the establishment of Maame Krobo Community Day Senior High School three years ago, St.Fidelis SHTS was the only Secondary School in Afram Plains South District.

Academic performance of the School has always been over 50% pass rate in spite of the challenges.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh