At the last session of the recent launch of the PEARL (Prosperity through Enterprise, Agriculture, Resilience and Livelihoods) Framework, a bold 10-year plan set to transform Ghana’s regions through agriculture, enterprise, and responsible mining, an urgent and innovative proposal stirred the room.
Professor David Millar, President of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, who also doubles as the Chairman of the launch, presented an important suggestion to the President’s Representative, Mr. Augustus Obuadum Tanoh (Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development), and the Deputy Education Minister, Hon. Clement Apaak, with a message both practical and visionary.
With a voice marked by concern, and hope, Prof. Millar painted a troubling picture: nearly 5,000 basic schools across Ghana are still operating under trees or in crumbling structures. This crisis, he explained, strikes hardest in rural and underserved communities, where children are forced to learn in punishing conditions with no protection from the elements, scant furniture, and constant disruptions.
But Prof. Millar brought more than a lament, he brought a solution. “If we engage the military, specifically the engineering regiments who have already proven their capability building highways, to construct simple but durable pavilions, we could remove all schools from under trees in record time,” he declared. The military, he argued, can rapidly build thousands of such structures, far faster and more cost-effectively than traditional contractors. “Furniture and other amenities can come later. The priority must be getting children into proper shelters.”
Prof. Millar reminded his audience of historical precedent: “Years ago, under Rawlings and the NDC, pavilions were built for junior secondary schools, simple one-block structures that are now used as classrooms. Originally designed as open carpentry workshops, these pavilions have stood the test of time.”
His vision is methodical and inclusive: “We should start from the north, where the need is greatest, and gradually eliminate all schools under trees as we move southwards. The military’s field engineers regiment is both cheaper and faster. There are about eight field units, these could be deployed across Upper East, Upper West, and beyond. Since we already know where these schools are, soldiers could build pavilions one after another, moving steadily toward the coast.”
Prof. Millar’s proposal is clear: only by harnessing the speed and efficiency of the military can Ghana end the era of schools under trees, a solution that would be a landmark achievement for government, the military, and, above all, for Ghana’s children.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com