Pupils carry kitchen stool to school in Abenabo

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) four seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

However, some nursery pupils at Abenabo Presbyterian School, a farming community in the Suhum Municipality of the Eastern Region, carry their parents’ kitchen stools to school due to the non-availability of furniture.

Some pupils also sit on the floor to write while others lie down on their chests.

Nene Nartey Akrota III, the Odikro of Abenabo Community, who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday, said the lack of furniture was having negative effects on the pupils’ academic work and general performance.

He said the school was one of the oldest within the municipality, and the lack of furniture was making learning a difficult adventure for children.

“We have made several appeals to the education authorities to help us address the situation but to no avail,” the traditional leader lamented.

Nene Akonta said he had appealed to Oboafo Kwadwo Asante, the member of Parliament for Suhum constituency and Madam Margaret Darko, the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, but was yet to receive any positive response from them.

He said although the Ghana Education Service supplied the school some dual desks two years ago, the growing population of the pupils required more furniture for the new entrants.

The chief, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations and philanthropists, both home and abroad, to come to their aid.

Nene Akronta also appealed to the government to complete a community toilet facility, which had stalled.

He, however, thanked the government for asphalting the Abenabo-Tata Nkwanta Road, thereby improving accessibility to the community.