A table used by the students until the PTA intervened
The dominant and key lines of the Zamse Technical Senior High anthem which reads “let’s fight hard to achieve our aim” is the motivating factor for the students at the school located in the Bolgatanga Municipality as they face overwhelming challenges.
Students take their meals under a tree which serves as a dining hall and at the same time as the Assembly Hall.
The school was formally established in 1976 as a Junior High School located in Bukere. However, on the 10th of October, 1979 it was changed to a Technical Senior High School and relocated to the central part of Bolgatanga.
As the population of students increases, the available resources in the school became insufficient to contain the pressure, making teaching and learning difficult for the current student population of 2,609.
The small hall which serves as the dinning and Assembly halls cannot accommodate the students and staff and this has compelled the school to make good use of these trees as the dining hall and any student gatherings in front of the administration block or under these same trees.
To reduce the burden on how students are served their meals, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) has provided 150 dining tables and benches to replace the nine dilapidated tables used as dining tables
The PTA chairman, Volmeng David expressed worry about the situation in the school and explained how the Association was able to produce the dining tables and benches.
“One day, fortunately I was around, so I came to the dining hall side to meet the headmaster who told me he was here. So, when I got here, I realized that the students were just struggling and some were serving their food on the floor. Then I asked the headmaster, are you saying this is your dining hall? These are all the tables that are there for the students to be able to eat and get back on time for their classes? And the headmaster told me that, that was the only tables that they had,” he recalled.
Mr Volmeng said, “By then there were about nine tables, no bench, so the students were all knitted all over and some were serving their food on the floor. So when I saw that, we promised that if this is the case, I will have to call for an emergency PTA meeting so the parents will sit and decide if it’s possible we can support.
Fortunately, when I called the parents, they actually came and we decided that if this was the case, let every parent contribute so that we can be able to raise the needed funding to be able to at least provide 300 benches and 150 tables to contain about 1,500 students”.
He added that “We wanted to do more than the number I have mentioned, but as you can see, the dining hall space wasn’t enough to be able to contain the entire student population. And that was what motivated us to be able to do this”.
Students who spoke with our news team appealed for more development in the school to aid teaching and learning.
Another challenge is the lack of classroom furniture. Students sit and learn on the bare sandy floors while others squeeze each other on a single piece of furniture as well as others make good use of stones. Though some furniture was provided months ago, the issue of lack of furniture is still a problem.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga Roland Atanga Ayoo has assured the school of government support in the area of infrastructure to solve the overcrowding of students in the classrooms and at the dormitories.
He said the government appreciates the role of parents in an institution like this that is reason the president brought back the PTA in all senior High schools.
The Upper East Regional Director of Education, Razak Abdul-Korah admonished students to eschew indiscipline and conduct themselves as the government continues to look for solutions to their challenges.
The Headmaster of the school, Anaba Simon said despite the challenges confronting the Zamse Senior Technical High School, it continues to perform well in academic and other activities.
“In the field of academics, Zamse Senior Technical School is not left out. We are always there and that is the more reason why more parents are eager to bring their wards to Zamse Senior Technical School and hence the increase in the population of the institution. Today marks a very important event in the history of Zamse Senior Technical School.
The PTA of the school has listened to our cries. And they have come out to solve part of our problems. When you look around, these are the only dining hall tables that we have. And this is what the 2,609 students have been using for the past years. So I would say a very thank you to the PTA for listening to our cry. And some of our supporters” he said.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
