Authorities at the Nurul Islamic Basic School at Suame in Kumasi are appealing to city authorities to drive away mechanics who have encroached on their land, disrupting academic work.

Teachers and students complain noise generated by the mechanics in the course of their activities disturb academic work and is negatively affecting student’s performance.

Authorities say the situation is endangering the health and education of the about five hundred students of the school.

Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo who visited the school reports the mechanics have almost taken over the school’s compound, a problem that has persisted for about five years now.

Gakpo reports that some of the mechanics operate from right behind the classrooms, and others on the school compound. The mechanics make loud noise as they strike metals with hammer, and screech the tyres of vehicles.

Headmistress of the school, Beatrice Mensah told Joy News: “They are disturbing teaching and learning. When you are teaching they will be making noise. And the children cannot concentrate”.

The pupils say learning within the school environment is unfavourable. Teachers lament the situation is affecting academic performance. To the extent that the school was unable to achieve a 100 percent performance rate in the Basic Education Certificate Examination this year, although that feat was achieved last year.

The mechanics admit they have encroached on the school’s land, but say they have nowhere else to relocate.

But the students and teachers want the mechanics relocated, and school fenced to make the environment conducive for teaching and learning.