A total of five hundred ninety-six thousand three hundred and twenty-four (596,324) children from kindergarten, primary, and JHS in the northern region are without furniture in their schools, statistics from the Ghana Education Service revealed.
The statistician at the northern regional education office, Mr. Alhassan Seibu, who presented the furniture situation at a day’s regional education forum organized by ActionAid Ghana in Tamale, gave the break as follows: 156,881 pupils at kindergarten, with a deficit of 104,238 in the 2022–2023 academic year with 52,643 (33.6%) available. At the primary level, 339,588 pupils are without furniture, a deficit of 190,230 with 149,358 (44.0%) available. A total of 99,855 JHS students in the region are also without furniture.
Mr. Seibu told stakeholders that Nanton was the only district out of the 16 MMDAs in the region with excess furniture at the JHS level. The district with an enrollment of 1,911 at JHS level has available furniture of 2,51. The region only performed well in 2005-2006 and kept depreciating afterwards until it appreciated by 0.2 in the 2022-2023 academic year with 73.3% as against 73.1 in the 2015-2016 academic year.
Mr. Seibu urged stakeholders in the education sector to ensure that the country’s history of challenges is properly documented while efforts are being made to address them.
Northern Region Program Manager of ActionAid Ghana, Esther Boateng, announced the distribution of 103 pieces of furniture to 10 public KG schools and 14 primary schools, along with 770 in Sagnarigu Municipality.
In Tamale Metropolis, 16 primary schools received 280 dual desks for JHS, while 97 sets of furniture were also given to kindergarten.
Source: Mohammed Ibrahim, Head of ZaaNews.