Even though Lassia Tuolo Senior Secondary School in the Upper West Region offers science courses, the school does not have permanent science teachers. The school, which is the only secondary school in the Wa West District, has to depend on National Service persons to teach the Science subjects. Some of the students are also compelled to seek assistance from past students of the school who are currently in the universities any time they are back home on holidays. In addition, the school does not have a science laboratory to enable the students to do the practical aspects of the subject. According to some of the 50 candidates who wrote this year's West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), they were able to visit the Science Resource Centre at Wa Secondary School for their practical lessons only three times throughout the academic year. To make matters worse, the only tutor assisting the students in Mathematics is leaving for the university school. Rev Fr Linus Z. Mwinlaabo, confirmed the story and said the situation had been so before he took over less than a year ago. Meanwhile, he said, he was trying his best to get the students permanent teachers in Biology, Chemistry and Physics to help improve their work in the Science subjects. He said teachers accepted posting to the school but did not stay long because of the lack of electricity, water and the means of transport to Wa, which is about two hours' drive from the school. "Sometimes you can stand by the roadside for the whole day without getting transport to town. This means only dedicated teachers can stay in the school," he lamented. Apart from the lack of Science tutors, the headmaster said the school, which is a boarding school, needed a dining hall. The only sizeable hall is used for Mass, dining, examinations and as an assembly hall. "When students are writing examinations for instance the continuing students have no option but to sit under trees to eat their meals," he said. Source: Junior Graphic