Children in rural communities in the north continue to battle each and every day in getting access to quality education, as seen in the photographs, Ando Nderenu primary school in Chereponi District in the North East Region is built with tiny palm oil branches and sticks.
The tiny structure serves five classes with over hundred pupils, some from a nearby community. Kindergarten 1, 2 and class 1, 2 and 3 combined has only two teachers.
One of the volunteer teachers, Ms Yawba Abubakaritu told the Ghanaian Times in an interview that the situation was making teaching and learning very difficult as childhood education was critically to provide the basic foundations for their wellbeing.
“We sometimes struggle to get basic educational materials to teach the kids, where sometimes we rely on individuals who visit our community.
“We have notified the authorities as well as the district assemblies through the elders of the communities, but action is yet to be taken to help the innocent children,” she said.
“Though we are trying our best, but I believe when the basic educational materials are provided, we can teach the children in order to transform their mindset in order to enjoy the privileges their counterparts in urban areas are enjoying,” she added.
Ms Abubakaritu also commended the effort of the government in prioritising education as the way of raising responsible citizens, saying that “we in the rural communities are also appealing for attention”.
“In as much as we don’t have access to electricity, I believe if we have all the basic
educational materials, we can improve learning of the children,” she added.
From Geoffrey Buta, Ando Nderenu
