Ebenezer SHS appeals to government to complete abandoned projects

Some major projects started at the Ebenezer Senior High School at Dansoman in Accra to improve the school’s infrastructure have been abandoned, leaving the school with serious infrastructural challenges.

Work on a new girls’ dormitory block started in 2007 with funding from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has been abandoned, although it is 90 per cent complete.

Other projects abandoned are a science block which was started in 2016 but has only gone past the foundation level, a Visual Arts Department started in 2013 which is 70 per cent complete and an Information Communications Technology (ICT) centre started in 2016.

Two other uncompleted structures are a seven-unit classroom block and a Science laboratory which have been overgrown with weeds.

The problem of lack of infrastructure has compelled the school authorities to put to use an 18-unit classroom block which has been completed but not handed over to them.  

Inspection

These were disclosed by the President of the Ebenezer Old Students’ Association (EOSA), Mr Llyod Evans, when he and some members of the association, also known as “Padua”,  took journalists round to inspect the abandoned projects last Wednesday.

One of the rooms on the abandoned dormitory block showed a pile of abandoned wooden planks which were meant to be assembled as student beds for 300 students, covered in dust and cobwebs.

The doorknobs, wiring and other metallic materials used for construction have also rusted.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr  Evans explained that some of the students used the existing classrooms to study in turns, adding that the school was also in need of ICT equipment such as computers and projectors to facilitate the teaching and learning of the subject.

“Also, the Science and Home Economics departments lack some learning materials to enhance teaching and learning,” he added.

Double-track system

Describing the school as a community school that could serve the whole of the Ablekuma West area, Mr Evans said the school had the capacity to admit about 3,000 students or more, especially under the double-track system.

According to Mr Evans, a series of letters had been written by the school’s authorities to the government seeking support for the completion of the projects but nothing had been done so far.

He, therefore, suggested that part of the Member of Parliament’s (MP’s) share of the common fund be used to support the completion of some of the projects.

He also called on the government to see to the completion of the projects, saying: “The structures, when completed, will help the school to admit more students, especially with the commencement of the double-track system.”