Tullow Ghana has constructed a 12-unit classroom block for Bonzo-Kaku Senior High School in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region to support government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy in the country.
The 500-capacity storey classroom block – with facilities such as water system, electrical fixture and fittings, study area, furniture, marker-board, desk for teachers, among others – is expected to supplement the school’s existing inadequate classrooms.
Mrs. Augustina Essel-Cudjoe, Headmistress of the school, at the handing over ceremony, said the facility has come as a great relief and that the school faces countless challenges such as inadequate students’ dormitory, staff accommodation, classrooms, among many others.
“The donation of this 12-unit classroom block to the school by Tullow Ghana is timely. In fact, it has come to give the school a facelift and reduced the problem of classroom accommodation of the school,” she said.
“The classroom situation before the Tullow Ghana intervention was precarious when the Free SHS programme was introduced owing to the increasing number of students’ intake,” she added.
The situation, she said, brought about students having classes at the school car park, in the assembly hall and dining halls, and those in the classrooms were three or four on a desk meant for two, adding: “This situation sent away some of our students to other schools”.
According to her, the condition has made the school unattractive to prospective students and parents alike and made it undersubscribed till now.
“Students only come or accept admission when they roam the length and breadth of the country but cannot get admission to any other schools,” she added.
“It is heartwarming that the classrooms are fully furnished with students’ tables and chairs, as well as teachers’ tables and chairs and then sanitary facilities, among others,” she said.
She commended Tullow Ghana for the support but asked for more, saying: “Our boys’ dormitory is in a very deplorable state and so we will need more support”.
Edmund Fiifi Enchil, Social Performance Manager of Tullow Ghana, said part of the company’s commitment to the people of Ghana has led to the pursuit, development and application of education, which continues to be the bedrock for global growth, development and progress. The company’s quality education for all, he said, remains a pillar which is central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting the critical role education plays in society. “That is why in 2018, Tullow Ghana committed to investing US$10million over five years in infrastructure development to support the government’s policy of providing free access to quality Senior High School education,” he said.
Aside from the Bonzo-Kaku classroom inauguration and many other social investment programmes, he said the US$10million-package saw the completion of a 16-unit dormitory block at Nsein SHS, Sankor SHS, Annor-Adjaye SHS – all in the Western Region, and Nsutaman SHS in the Ashanti Region, cumulatively housing thousands of students while others are under construction. Teaching and learning in these classrooms, he said, are bound to be impactful and he believes this will go a long way to support the delivery of quality education in the region.
“As a company committed to high-level leadership, we see our socio-economic investment strategy as critical to our success. Our priority areas of capacity-building through STEM education and skill development, bolstering local and national economies, and developing shared infrastructure will continue to guide all interventions we make in Ghana presently and in the future,” he continued.
Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister, commended Tullow Ghana for the support and said that since the inception of the Free Senior High School policy there has been increase enrolments. He said since the policy was rolled out, students’ intake has moved from 13,210 to 63,631 in the Western Region, and more continue to benefit. Naturally, he said inadequate infrastructure became a conspicuous challenge that faced the implementation of the policy in the immediate aftermath of the announcement.
“The Tullow Free SHS infrastructure project is an important intervention since the government cannot do it alone, the delivery of education is a shared responsibility and we applaud Tullow for its continued support toward the socio-economic development of the country,” he concluded.
