Students At Kromoase Study Under Trees

Students of Kromoase D/A Junior High School in the Atwima Kwahoma District of the Ashanti Region are now forced to study under trees after the roofs and pillars of their classrooms were destroyed following heavy rains on Saturday night. Form three Students who started their Mock examinations Monday morning had to occupy classes belonging to the primary school to enable them write the exams. The school, which was built in the 1930s, was once re-roofed eleven years ago with no major renovation since then. Headmistress in charge of the primary school, Angelina Nsia Asare who explained the extent of damage to Ultimate Radio said, �All the roofs for the junior high school have been ripped off and all the pillars are broken.� Some classrooms as well as a computer laboratory which was under construction also collapsed in the incident. The Headmistress told Ultimate Radio, the school was left with some Ghana at Fifty constructed classrooms and another classroom which could accommodate a few classes in the interim. The GES Circuit Supervisor for the area, who is overwhelmed by the level of destruction caused by the rainstorm, told Ultimate Radio, his outfit was fortunate that some rooms were spared to accommodate the form three students to write their mock exams. Mr. John Mensah noted, �We are now looking for a permanent place for the other classes and as we speak now, some of the classes are being run under trees so we are appealing to the public to come to our aid�. He noted that, �unfortunately, the school is also an examination center and if action is not expedited, things are going to be worse as the BECE examinations were less than a hundred days away�. The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the District Educational Directorate as well as the assembly member and the District Education Director have all visited the school to see how best the school can be assisted. Some of the pupils, who were studying under trees at the time Ultimate Radio�s Joseph Oppong Brenya visited, expressed frustration with their condition and appealed to Government and philanthropist to come to their aid. One unhappy student said, �I feel shy because our colleagues are in their schools learning in their classrooms and we are sitting under trees. I want the government to help us within this week to rebuild everything that has been destroyed�. �It is so uncomfortable sitting under the trees here to learn. We don�t even have black boards to write on while some other students are in class learning. We want government to help us complete the school�, another student lamented. Meanwhile others schools including Prempeh College in Kumasi and private buildings were also not spared by the downpour accompanied heavy winds which swept through some parts of the Kumasi Metropolis and its immediate surroundings.