Dilapidated Classrooms Force Fear and Dropouts at Kukubuso Basic School in Ashanti Region
Pupils at Kukubuso Basic School in the Atwima Mponua District live with constant anxiety, attending classes in crumbling buildings that teachers and students alike fear could collapse at any moment.
A recent visit to the rural public school revealed two separate classroom blocks in an advanced state of disrepair. The structures are poorly grounded, with wooden pillars cracking, splitting, and in some cases already collapsing. Roofs leak heavily during rains, turning lessons into a hazardous ordeal.
Established in 1985 through the collective efforts of the local community, the school has never undergone meaningful renovation despite producing several notable alumni over the decades. Today, its deteriorating infrastructure poses a direct threat to the safety and well-being of pupils, teachers, and anyone who steps inside.
Teachers say they are left with no choice but to prioritize safety over scheduled learning time. Abdullah Dramani, one of the educators, explained that classes are routinely closed early whenever rain threatens.
“When it’s about to rain, we ask the children to go home because we can’t risk having them stay in school with these shaky buildings looming over them,” he said.
The fear is not unfounded. Sarfo Adubofour Gideon, another teacher at the school, revealed that pupil numbers have sharply declined as many children have simply stopped coming.
“The school used to be packed, but now lots of pupils have dropped out and are just roaming around,” he noted. “They tell me they’re afraid to come to school because the buildings aren’t safe and might collapse on them.”
Mbawini Vida, the Senior Girls’ Prefect, made an emotional appeal to authorities on behalf of her fellow students.
“If the school collapses, we will have to travel a long way to other communities where we can find a school to attend,” she said, urging swift intervention to prevent such an outcome.
Compounding the crisis is an unfinished 6-unit classroom block project that began in 2015 but has remained abandoned for nearly a decade. Local leaders say the structure stands at about 60 percent completion, exposed to weather and gradually deteriorating, representing both wasted resources and a missed opportunity to ease the overcrowding and safety concerns.
Thomas Adutwum, a Unit Committee member, stressed that the community has carried the burden of keeping the school operational through voluntary contributions and sheer determination.
“Without the community’s relentless efforts, the public schools would likely cease to function, leaving the community without access to education,” he said.
He called on the government to instruct the contractor to resume work immediately and bring the long-delayed project to completion.
As Ghana continues to grapple with unequal access to quality education, particularly in rural areas, the situation at Kukubuso Basic School stands as a stark reminder of the urgent need for investment in safe and conducive learning environments for the country’s youngest citizens.
