An assembly member for the SORI electoral area in the West Gonja municipality of the Savannah region, honorable Seidu A. Fuseini, has appealed to the general public, especially CSOs and philanthropists, to help provide Kutito number 2, a community in his electoral area, with a school block to enable children in the community have access to education like their colleagues in other places.
Hon. Fuseini appealed for the school block in an interview with GhanaWeb during a visit to the community on Saturday, March 12, 2022.
Kutito number 2, is a farming community in the West Gonja municipality of the Savannah Region that has no single social amenity except a dilapidated school block.
The community has neither pipe boned water nor electricity and access roads.
The school block which was constructed by the commuters themselves has parts of it fallen for years now, leaving children in the community without a choice but to learn under the structure that is more a death trap than a place to acquire knowledge
Speaking to the GhanaWeb, Fuseini indicated, that the Kutito Number 2 D/A Primary school, was communally constructed to give children in the community an opportunity to also get formal education.
He said, the school block was used for many years until the then Member of Parliament(MP) MMrMutawakilu (Hon. Garlus) put up a three-unit classroom, which has also developed faults and needed a repair, and appealed to the public, especially CSOs, and philanthropists to help put up the classroom so that children in the community can also get the needed education.
"It happened last year during the raining season when it happened, I called for PTA meeting, we jawed jawed and finally sent to the matter to the education director who said he was also looking for support, so we are appealing to the government and anyone who can help, to support us in this," he said
He said, the community, through communal labour, a'so provided at two bedroom accommodation to help teachers stay and teach, but added that the situation was the same as a results of the dilapidated nature of the school.
Some parents who spoke to Ghananweb in the community, bemoaned the nature of the school block, noting that it demotivates their ward's from attending school, and pleaded with the government to look into the matter
They also complained that teachers who are posted to the school run away because of how bad the school looks.
Adding that the children themselves have lost hope in education and are now running away from the classrooms.
"We are farmers, and we hope that these our children will grow up one day to be like the big men in the cities, but looking at the way things are going, I doubt if it will be possible," a parent said
"Sometimes, the children will go and sit for the whole day, and no teacher will come" He added
Kutito number 2, is one of the deprived communities in the West Gonja municipality of the Savannah Region.
The community has no health facility, no potable water, electricity and access roads.
They access their healthcare at the municipal capital, or a Kutito number1 and number3 which are about a hundred plus meters away.
The commuters are mainly farmers, who engage in yam, cassava, rice and maize farming with just a few of them engaged in trading.
School authorities and the education directorate were not readily available for interaction at the time of visit
School building in the Savannah region