Pupils and teachers of Zogbeli M/A Primary study in deathtraps

Pupils and teachers at the basic section of the Zogbeli M/A Primary Cluster of Schools in the Tamale metropolis are sitting on a time bomb as portion of their classroom block has become a deathtrap.

Portion of the block which was constructed in 1956 and serves as classrooms from primary one to three, is currently in deplorable state; forcing school authorities to move out the pupils in primary one for fear of a possible collapse.

The walls of the classrooms, particularly primary one, have developed huge cracks while the iron rods holding the pillars of the building have also been exposed to the weather, causing the pillars to bend.

According to school authorities, the primary four has become congested as a result.

According to them, efforts at getting the relevant authorities to get save the classroom block from collapsing has not yielded any result.

In a letter written by the school’s Parent Teacher Association dated July 10, 2015, said “the school is entertaining fears that with the onset of the rains, the structure poses a greater threat to lives with its worsening state”.

The Organiser of the PTA, told TV3 that various efforts made by the PTA to get stakeholders pay attention to the situation have yielded no results.

“We have written series of letters to Metropolitan Education Office, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and the MP for Tamale Central but till date we have not heard nothing from them,” he said.

“This building has been in this condition before the Assembly constructed the additional block for the upper primary and we drew their attention to it but the contractor extorted money from PTA but still did nothing to it”, he alleged.

Meanwhile, long distance travelled by teachers to school daily is affecting teaching. TV3 gathered that the teachers live far from the school, hence report to school late most of the time. A teacher’s bungalow has been left to rot

Toilet facilities is also a big challenge in the school. Pupils in the school share one toilet with the community while a school toilet facility is also left to rot.

Credit: TV3network