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Winkogo Primary School old students renovate school block, donate furniture to alma mater

The Headmistress of Winkogo Model Primary School, Reverend Goldia Pwatirah, has lauded the old boys and girls of the school for renovating the school and donating furniture valued at GH₵62,000

She noted the support came after several appeals from the management of the school, asking government, philanthropists, civil society organisations and the old students association of the school to rise to its aid.

According to her, the basic school hitherto was bedeviled with enormous infrastructural challenges, describing the kind gesture from the old students as timely.

She made this known at the handover ceremony at Winkogo, a village in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.

The refurbishment of the six-unit classroom block, the donation of 12 tables and chairs to teachers, 150 metal mono-desks,  and providing the classrooms with metal doors and windows has really lifted the face of the school, Rev. Pwatirah disclosed in her welcome address at the occasion.

The issues, she said, dramatically affected the enrolment of the school, as parents and guardians continually complained about the dilapidated school block.

Regardless, she noted, since the rejuvenation of the building in 2019, the school had started witnessing some improvement in enrolment and retention, and asked the old students of the school to remain committed to the growth and progress of their alma matter.

“The renovation of the project has brought massive improvement in enrolment and retention. Before the renovation, the enrolment decreased to 100 or so, but we currently have about 156 pupil population.

We know the population will further see a sharp increase in the next academic year,” Rev. Pwatirah added.

Lamenting on the ‘rough patches’ the school underwent, the headmistress indicated that the school was crumbling, and battered with rainstorms any time there was a downpour, with community folks turning the classrooms into places of convenience.

The issue, she explained, did not only discourage parents and guardians from keeping their wards in the school, but it had a steep toll on the academic work of the pupils since they had to always use the instructional hours to tidy the unkempt classrooms before classes could commence.

The Assemblyman for the Winkogo Electoral Area, Edward Azua Akologo, who inspired the old students to extend a helping hand to the school, said they remained resolute to salvaging the precarious infrastructure and other acute challenges facing their alma mater.

According to him, the seriousness of educational lapses required all hands on deck since the government alone could not intervene to correct all the educational ills facing basic schools in the district.

He made a humble plea to the Ghana Education Service to employ security guards to take care of the school, adding that there was the urgent need for the government to prioritise the completion of an abandoned ICT and library projects to ensure quality teaching and learning in the community.

The Talensi District Director of Education, Christiana Azure Ayinzoya, expressed her gratitude to the old students association, and challenged them to continue working hand-in-hand with the government to give the school a face lift.

FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, WINKOGO

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