One of the dilapidated school blocks
The Methodist Primary School at Amadum Adankwame in the Atwima Nwabiagya South District is facing a severe infrastructural crisis, with pupils and teachers left to endure what many describe as dangerous and dehumanising conditions.
The school, which caters to children from Amadum Adankwame and neighbouring communities, has seen years of neglect. Several of its classroom structures are now in a deplorable state, with cracked walls, broken roofs, and exposed learning spaces that offer little to no protection from the weather.
“Anytime it rains, we are forced to shift pupils from one corner of the room to another to escape leaks and falling debris,” a teacher told this paper. “We are genuinely afraid the buildings may collapse one day.”
Many of the classrooms are without doors and windows, leaving them vulnerable to stray animals and night-time intruders. Teachers say the absence of a fence wall has turned the school into a den for some local youth, who use the compound after school hours. Reports of people smoking and defecating in classrooms have become all too common, forcing staff to clean up each morning before lessons begin.
Furniture is another major challenge. Several pupils sit on broken desks or on the bare floor to take lessons. Some teachers conduct classes without even a chair to sit on or a table to work from.
The sanitation situation is equally dire. The school has no toilet or urinal facilities for either staff or students. Female pupils and teachers, in particular, are affected by the lack of privacy and hygiene.
Stephen Osei Akoto, Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC), in an interview with the DAILY GUIDE, described the situation as heartbreaking.
“We’ve made several appeals to the district assembly and to government officials, but nothing has been done,” he said. “The school needs a total overhaul — not just patchwork. We’re talking about new roofs, solid classroom blocks, decent toilets, proper desks, and a secure fence wall to protect the environment.”
In the face of neglect, the school’s Old Students’ Association recently donated a number of dual desks, offering some temporary relief. But community members say the donation, though appreciated, is only a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of challenges confronting the school.
Teachers, parents, and the SMC are once again appealing to the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and philanthropists to intervene and help rescue the school before lives are endangered.
As things stand, the children of Amadum Adankwame Methodist Primary School continue to learn under life-threatening conditions — and unless swift action is taken, their dream of a safe and dignified learning environment may never be realised.
From David Afum, Amadum Adankwame