Schoolchildren at the Babile D/A Primary School in Babile in the Lawra Municipality, are compelled to lie prostrate in the classroom for teaching and learning due to the inadequate amount of furniture in the school.

During a visit to the school, it was observed that the worst affected children in this situation were the lower primary pupils, as most of them were seen either sitting on the floor or lying prostrate in the class.

Mr Zola Dabuo, the Assembly Member of Babile Electoral Area, told the GNA in an interview at the community that the situation not only affected effective teaching and learning in the school but also discouraged many children from attending school.

He indicated that some parents provided furniture for their children in the upper primary and Junior High Schools (JHS) to help facilitate academic activities in the school.

Mr Vitus Dapilah Kadoe, the Regent of Babile, said the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lawra Constituency, Mr Bede Ziedeng and the Lawra Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Jacob Dery, were both aware of the challenges in the community, especially the school but had “turned their blindsight to them.”

He said the Babile D/A JHS “B” did not also have a teacher’s office and teachers at the school had to sit under trees to mark assignments, perform other off-class academic duties while in school and had to join the students in the classroom anytime it was raining.

Mr Kadoe explained that Mr Ziedeng, who was then the NDC parliamentary candidate for Lwara Constituency during the 2020 general election, promised to build an office for the school if he won the election but had not returned to fulfil his promise after he won.

“The MP, who was the then NDC parliamentary candidate came and had a meeting with the teachers under the trees here and promised us that when he wins the election, he will build an office for us.

“I have told his people to inform him that we are still waiting for the office. I don’t know whether they have told him or not.

I want to use this medium to remind him that we are still waiting for the office, which he promised us,” Mr Kadoe, who is also a teacher at the school, said.

Madam Theresa Lan-ire, a resident, lamented that the furniture situation was taking a toll on parents and guardians in Babile since they had to buy soap regularly to wash the children’s clothes.

The GNA also observed that the school structures were dilapidated with the windows and doors of the classrooms broken and the classroom floors full of potholes.

However, Mr Sagacious Arah, the School Management Committee Chairman, said the parents had taken steps to fix metal doors as part of efforts to reduce access to the classrooms by unscrupulous persons who contributed to destroying the furniture.

The people, thus, appealed to the MP, Mr Bede Ziedeng and the MCE, Mr Jacob Dery, who are the NDC and NPP 2024 parliamentary aspirants for Lawra Constituency respectively, to intervene to ameliorate the challenges the community is facing, especially in the education sector.