Nsawam: Pupils sit on floor to study at Panpanso Ningo M/A Basic school

Despite several policies and programs aimed at promoting access and quality in basic education, pupils at Panpanso Ningo M/A Basic School in Nsawam Adoagiri, Eastern Region, are still facing significant challenges.

Inadequate furniture at the school has forced pupils to either sit or lie on the bare floor to read and write, causing discomfort, back pain, and gradually affecting their academic performance.

Many pupils are seen lying on their bellies to write, while others have improvised seats using blocks and stones.

The upper primary level faces a similar situation, with no major infrastructural expansion or supply of logistics despite the increasing population.

Recent data from the Ministry of Education's (MoE) Education Management Information System (EMIS) indicates that as of 2021, a significant portion of basic school pupils lacked seating and writing places: 50 percent of KG pupils (596,949), 40 percent of primary pupils (1,308,479), and 30 percent of JHS pupils (425,465).

This totals to 2,330,893 pupils, representing 40 percent of basic school students.

The management of the school reports that this situation is adversely affecting the quality of teaching and learning. Nationally, there is a desk shortage of 40 percent, with the northern regions of Ghana—Savannah, Northern, North-East, Upper West, Upper East, Bono East, and Oti—experiencing even higher ratios.

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