Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion Ghana Limited has stepped up its fumigation exercise of public Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Ashanti Region.

The exercise – which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Education – seeks to rid the schools of bedbugs, mosquitoes, ants and dangerous reptiles.

Its objective is to create a congenial environment for academic work for the students.

On Thursday, April 23, 2020, Zoomlion fumigated about 20 public SHSs in the region.

Some of the schools were St. Mary's Girls' SHS (SMAG), Asante Akyem Central, Juaso Senior High Technical School, Asante-Akim South, Juaben SHS (JUASS), Effiduasi Commercial Schoool and Nurul Ameen Islamic Technical School.

Others were Osei Adutwum SHS, Adu Gyamfi SHS, Serwaa Nyarko SHS etc.

The facilities fumigated in these schools included classrooms, dormitories laboratories, offices, staff members' bungalows, chop boxes, mattresses, among others.

The heads of the beneficiary schools unanimously expressed appreciation to the ministry of education and Zoomlion for the exercise.

They described the exercise as timely, stressing that it will free their schools of bedbugs which have become a big headache for almost every SHS in the country.

Additionally, the various headmsters/headmistresses averted that the fumigation will help deal with the bedbugs and help drive away dangerous reptiles.

However, beyond the exercise, it was observed that many of these schools were bedevilled with serious challenges -- some if not addressed with urgency--can ruin the futures of their students.

At the St. Mary's Girls' SHS, the Headmistress, Mrs Alice Martha Adjei, highlighted some challenges her school was grappling with.

According to her, St. Mary's Girls lacks many facilities.

These, she lamented, included lack of a dormitory and a science laboratory, inadequate desks, no staff bungalows, limited classrooms among others.

She said these problems have contributed to affect her school which has a student population of 930.

Against this background, Mrs Adjei made a passionate appeal to the government, through the Ministry of Education, to assist.

She also seized the opportunity to commend the MCE for the area for her support in refurbishing the school's dining hall.

While commending Zoomlion and the education ministry, the Headmistress of Juaso Senior High Technical School, Margaret Nana Halm Markin, pleaded with the government to help them build a boy's dormitory.

Assistant Headmaster of Juaben SHS, Mr Samuel Kwame Adama, said the spraying exercise will help a great deal in killing the bedbugs which have gained notoriety in the school and disturbing academic work.

He also pleaded for more classrooms and dormitories to be built for his school to help accomodate the growing student population.