Authorities at Kong Junior High School in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District are appealing for urgent government intervention after a windstorm tore off the roof of the school’s only classroom block about a month ago, a development that has accelerated student dropouts in the community.
Since the storm, teachers and pupils have been studying under an exposed structure, with lessons halted whenever rain clouds gather. Headteacher Mr Dogoor Mark confirmed that the damaged roof is directly affecting enrollment, as families increasingly pull their children out of school to work on farms instead.
During a visit to the community, a man was seen taking his son to the farm during school hours, telling the news team that the poor state of the school had pushed him to withdraw his son from class.
Assemblyman for the Kong Electoral Area, Hon Kaayirinaa Issah Clement, said the school’s troubles go beyond the roof, pointing to the community’s lack of basic amenities including telecom network, potable water, and teacher accommodation. Local farmer Nurudeen Mumuni said residents have begun mobilizing their own funds to provide school desks and hope to start renovations, though community resources remain limited.
Abubakari Yussif, Organizer for the Kong Youth Alliance, described years of developmental neglect in the area, noting that the JHS block has no roof, doors, or windows, with deep cracks running through its walls. He said the nearby Kong D/A Primary School faces a similar crisis, with only three classrooms serving six class levels, forcing pupils from different grades to share rooms. He called on the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Assembly, the area’s MP, NGOs, donors, and Gonjalanders at home and abroad to come to the community’s aid.
Reacting to the story on Spear FM’s political talk show “Lembu Gbong,” NDC Communication Team Member for the Damongo constituency, Madam Baba Munira Abigail, placed blame for the Kong community’s neglect squarely on the previous NPP administration. She argued that the NPP cannot match the NDC’s record on education infrastructure, citing what she described as a GH¢33.3 billion allocation to the education sector under the current NDC government.
Madam Abigairl added that the NDC government is bringing TVET and STEM schools to the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, which she said would benefit the people of Kong. She expressed confidence that the area’s MP and the District Chief Executive would liaise to ensure the Kong classroom block is renovated.
With the rainy season underway, stakeholders warn that without swift repairs, more pupils risk abandoning school entirely, threatening the survival of the community’s only Junior High School.
