The teachers and students at the 31st December Kindergarten School in the Tindonsobligo Community of Bolgatanga Municipal, located in the Upper East Region, are facing a daily risk of snake bites due to the absence of a constructed toilet facility within the school premises.
This unfortunate situation has resulted in teachers and students resorting to “open defecation” as there are no other options available. Despite being established in 1990, the school has been operating without a toilet facility up until now.
The lack of toilet facilities in schools can have various negative effects on the teaching and learning abilities of pupils. Here are a few potential impacts:
Health and hygiene: Inadequate or non-existent toilet facilities can compromise the health and hygiene of both students and teachers. This can lead to increased absenteeism due to illness, making it difficult for students to consistently attend classes and progress in their learning.
When there are no proper toilets available, students may feel uncomfortable and distracted throughout the day. This can affect their concentration, making it harder for them to fully engage in lessons and absorb information.
Lack of access to clean and well-maintained toilets can demotivate students, causing them to lose focus on their studies. They may feel embarrassed or uneasy, leading to decreased motivation to participate actively in classroom activities and moreover, prolonged discomfort and disruption caused by inadequate toilet facilities can hinder students’.
The headmistress of the school Madam Gornah Magrate, in a conversation with Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen, a member of the Upper East Regional Branch leadership of the Media Coalition against Open Defecation (M-CODe), expressed her concern over a troubling situation.
According to her, the teachers and students do not want to resort to open defecation, commonly known as free range, whenever they need to use the restroom. She shared an incident where a community member approached the school, warning them to instruct the students against defecating near his shrine.
She is appealing to NGOs and other relevant institutions to come to their aid by providing them with a toilet and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facility to reduce the risk of children being bitten by snakes.
The Assembly member for the Tindonsobligo electoral area, Thomas Ayimbila Apaala, acknowledged the situation as unfortunate when contacted by Apexnewsgh.com. He stated that he has made numerous efforts by writing various institutions, including the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST).
Hon. Ayinbila also expressed dissatisfaction that no major renovations have taken place since the establishment of the school.
However, when contacted the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive Mr. Rex Asanga, he expressed sympathy for the school predicament.
He has assured that his Assembly officials will be sent to the school to find a solution.
“I will ask my people to go and have a look at it, we will see if there is something temporal, we can do”. He told Apexnewsgh.com
Sadly, in the Upper East Region, 26% of public schools in Ghana operate without toilet facilities
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana
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