Poor road networks, weak mobile connectivity and inadequate accommodation are threatening the future of Gwiraman Community Senior High School in the Western Region, where student enrolment has dropped drastically over the past decade.
The school, established in 2015 under the E-Block initiative with an initial population of about 1,500 students, now has only 420 students enrolled.
School authorities attribute the decline to poor access roads, unreliable communication networks and the absence of boarding facilities, which continue to discourage students from surrounding communities from enrolling.
Despite the challenges, the school has produced outstanding students, including Juliet Quansah, a former student currently studying medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Headmistress Sarah Asare said the school, together with the Parent Teacher Association, has applied for boarding status to help solve accommodation difficulties and improve enrolment. She appealed to government and stakeholders to speed up the approval process.
To support the school’s growth, the Gwiraman Traditional Council has cut sod for the construction of a 500-bed dormitory as part of activities marking the school’s 10th anniversary celebration.
The Paramount Chief of Gwira Bamianko, Awulae Angama Tu Agyan II, also called on government to convert the school into a secondary technical institution to help equip students with employable skills and boost enrolment.
Meanwhile, Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson assured the school community that government remains committed to improving infrastructure in senior high schools, revealing that a contract has already been awarded for rehabilitation of the road leading to the school.
