Over 50 children in Lawui drop out of basic school annually – Residents lament

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Every year, at least 50 pupils at the Lawui D/A Primary School in the Akatsi South District of the Volta Region, are unable to further their education to Junior High School after completing Primary six.

The reason being that the community has no Junior High School (JHS) facility and the Lawui D/A Primary School which is the only school that provides basic education to children from nine other surrounding villages cannot accommodate more pupils.

Apart from lacking JHS blocks, pupils are forced to learn under sheds roofed with straws because the two 3-unit classroom blocks are not enough to accommodate the over 350 kindergarten and primary school pupils.

The headteacher and staff of the school have no office. They sit under a tree, a situation which is reportedly making teaching and learning difficult.

Mr. Peter Senu, Headmaster of the school, speaking to Ghanaweb laments how most of the students drop out of school due to the lack of JHS facility in the community.

He disclosed that the only nearby Junior High School which is located at Wute is very far from Lawui and pupils have to walk for more than an hour to get there.

This, according to Mr. Senu compel the students, particularly girls who graduate from primary six at Lawui D/A school to neglect school and do not get the chance to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

“Wute is very far from here and most of our pupils find it very stressful walking for almost two hours to school. It affects their health and academics because, by the time they get to school, they become tired and lose concentration,” he complained.

He added, “The children have decided not to go through that stress so most of them especially the girls are giving birth instead of going to school and the boys are joining their fathers in the farm.”

Mr. Senu noted that the District Assembly and Member of Parliament for Akatsi South have neglected the community as several requests made by the school authority for the construction of school blocks have fallen on deaf ears.

“We’ve sent two letters to the District Assembly for about 5 years ago but they haven’t replied. As for the MP, he only comes around during campaign periods and does not even look at the school,” he disclosed to Ghanaweb.

He said, children in the community are very lively and determined to learn but the learning environment is not conducive enough warning that if the situation is not addressed immediately the standard of education will drop as young teachers posted to the school have threatened to leave and the percentage of teenage pregnancy will increase.

He also complained about lack of a health center in the community.

He, therefore, appealed to the government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), corporate organizations and individuals to come to their aid as soon as possible.

“We will be very happy if government, NGOs and anybody who is touched by our story can come to our aid. Our children are suffering too much. The kids here are very lively and determined to learn but the learning environment is not conducive enough,” he requested.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com