The challenges of Tampelle M/A Primary School in Nandom Municipality

Before I deeply nose-dive into the debilitating challenges that bedevil the Tampelle M/A Primary School, I wish to, first of all, use this opportunity to commend the Nandom Municipal Director of Education, Madam Ninfaakang Paschaline, for the spirited fight she puts up to improving the falling standard of education at the basic level in the municipality.

It is quite apparent that the municipal director of education, Madam Nifaakang Paschaline spares no effort of hers to ensuring that performances in our basic schools within the municipality are improved. She demonstrates that commitment by consistently moving round the municipality to supervise the schools.

I have sighted a letter in circulation titled, “suspension of farming activities in our basic schools” written on 24th May, 2022 and signed by Madam Nifaakang Paschaline, the municipal director. The content of this letter sought to address a problem that appears to be one of the causes of poor performance in our basic schools. Though I have my personal reservation about the decision but I think it is a step in the right direction. It demonstrates that the director is on course. Kudos to her. This tells her that Eagle eyes are watching her from afar.

Again, Madam Nifaakang Paschaline donated fifteen (15) dual desks to Tampelle Primary School when the problem was brought to her attention. On 26th May, 2022, I was at Tampelle Primary School. As of then, there was only one teacher and the headteacher. But as I speak, one more teacher has been posted to the school increasing the staff numerical strength to three with the headteacher inclusive.

The above notwithstanding, Tampelle M/A Primary School is still bedeviled with myriad of challenges that beg for urgent action.

To begin with, the school currently engages in multigrade teaching. It has classes up to four (4) unfortunately, the classrooms are only three (3). Kindergarten (KG) one and two occupy one classroom, primary one (1) and two (2) also occupy one classroom while primary three (3) and four (4) occupy the last classroom. This, according to one of the teachers, makes teaching very difficult. As to whether or not plans are far advanced to building new classrooms block, the headteacher could not tell.

Quite apart from that, another most worrying issue is that the current class four (4) pupils have no single textbook. Even the teachers do not have one copy to use as a guide to teaching the pupils. This is very serious! Schools in Nandom do not deserve this at all! The question is, how will these poor pupils perform well in their BECE? How will they become the future leaders we keep calling them? Some of the pupils said they would be excited if anybody support them with textbooks. This, they added will enable them to match up with their colleagues in well-resourced schools.

Furthermore, Tampelle M/A Primary School has all its windows removed. This exposes the pupils and the new furniture to the mercy of the weather. When it is raining, the furniture lying closer to the windows gets beaten by the rain. During contact hours, pupils have to move to one corner of the classroom to avoid being beaten by the rain. Teaching and learning is disrupted as soon as rain begins to fall. The pupils and the teachers will be glad if the windows and doors are fixed. This will secure the desks, books and also extend the lifespan of the learning materials.

Last but not least, there is no borehole at the school for pupils to fetch water and drink. The entire school resort to begging water from a nearby house. Initially, there was a borehole very close to the school but that had spoilt beyond repairs. This is a serious challenge that is affecting academic performance in the school.

Nandom Municipal has some time now, gained the currency of finding herself at the bottom of the BECE league table. This spells doom for the municipality. We must together and in unison weed out this canker-falling standard of education in the municipality. It is a collective battle!

I, therefore, wish to conclude by making a clarion call on the hardworking Municipal Director of Education, the Municipal Chief Executive, the Member of Parliament and Interior Minister, Philanthropists and all stakeholders to as matter of urgency, come to the aid of these pupils-our future leaders. Let me also remind you that the Tantuo Primary School furniture crisis is still not addressed. I think that if these challenges are addressed, performance in Nandom will better improve than the ban placed on farming activities in the schools. The future of Nandom rests on the shoulders of these innocent pupils.