The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Kadjebi District Office has officially declared the Dodo-Amanfrom D/A Islamic Junior High School (JHS) as unfit for habitation.
The school building, which exhibited widespread cracks, was included in a list of 300 structures identified by NADMO for demolition within the Dodo-Amanfrom community.
Mr. Godwin Gracious Fia, the Headteacher of the School, recounted that in October 2021, the Kadjebi District Planning Officer and the District Engineer visited the school premises and extensively documented the deteriorated state of the structure.
During their visit, they assured the school of a new building. However, no further communication or progress has been forthcoming since then.
Established in 2009, the school currently accommodates 9 teachers and 114 students, comprising 53 girls and 61 boys, all studying within the compromised environment.
Mr. Fia highlighted that despite the dilapidated state of their learning facility, the school managed to achieve remarkable results in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The school’s BECE results for 2022 showcased an impressive 93 percent pass rate among the 48 candidates presented, with the best aggregate being 20 and the lowest being 37.
Similarly, the 2021 BECE results demonstrated a range between the best grade of 23 and the lowest at 39 out of 26 candidates presented.
“Our academic achievements outshine those of Dodo-Amanfrom E.P JHS and R.C JHS despite the inadequacy of our building,” he pointed out.
Mr. Fia highlighted that parents often preferred enrolling their children in E.P JHS and R.C JHS due to their superior infrastructure. He emphasized that those parents who truly cared about the school’s welfare chose to send their children there.
In light of this, he made an earnest plea to charitable individuals and organizations to assist them in constructing a new school facility.
When GNA reached out to Mr. Seth Seyram Deh, the Kadjebi District Director of Education, regarding the issue, he acknowledged his awareness of the situation and assured that appropriate actions would be taken.
He mentioned plans to convene meetings with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the School Management Committee (SMC) to explore interim solutions, potentially including a temporary structure for the students.
Mr. Sulemana Zulkalneine, the Kadjebi District Planning Officer, acknowledged their awareness of the issue but admitted the constraints stemming from the current lack of funds.
NADMO’s Kadjebi District Office has identified approximately 590 structures for potential demolition across various communities. This includes 300 structures within the Dodo-Amanfrom area, 150 in the Kadjebi township, 80 structures in Pampawie community, and 60 in Ahamansu community.