The Koforidua Secondary Technical School (SECTECH) is experiencing water crises following damage of the only two mechanised boreholes serving the school.
The school weaned-off water supply by Ghana Water Company Limited years ago due to inability to pay for bills hence solely depend on the mechanised boreholes .
However, the pump in the boreholes broke down almost a month ago but the school does not have money for repair.
The situation has compelled the hundreds of boarding students to roam in nearby communities such as Atekyem, Police training school, and Adweso SSNIT in search for water.
According to the students the situation is affecting them academically because they waste teaching and learning time searching for water to bath and wash their uniforms.
Some of the students have taken advantage of the situation not to frequently bath compromising personnel hygiene.
“We have a lot of problems in the school.One is the water issue we have to leave campus to go outside to fetch water to bath and wash our things .The one we drink we buy sachet water.
“We fetch water from long distance.When I am in the house I don’t go that far to fetch water .It is really affecting us,” the students complained.
The water stress situation has also created disorderliness on campus as the boarding students frequently escape to town under the pretence of searching for water.
Management of the school has reached out to some old-student year groups who have donated large water storage polytanks to the school while repair works continue.
Again, management was converting a broken down hand pump borehole to a well to mitigate the crises.
Koforidua SECTECH is also facing frequent electricity prepaid shortage due to lack of funds.
Many classroom blocks are therefore without power forcing Students to attend preps in turns.
The final year students writing the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) say they are being affected as they struggle to get light to learn. Some use torch lights .
“Also electricity we don’t have time to prep, even during prep we have to sometimes wait for others to finish learning before others go.
The school doesn’t have enough money to buy the prepaid so when the prepaid get finish we the students have to contribute to buy prepaid ourselves else we won’t get any light.we are pleading if someone can come to our aide to help us” a student said
“We are in our final year so we need to learn to write the exams but the power issue is affecting us .They who of last week it was only one block that had power .It is our teacher that volunteered to buy the science block a prepaid meter.Because of this we run shift during prep” a final year student lamented.
Starr News has gathered that government has not fully released grant for utility for the school for the academic year.
Management have been begging old students and PTA for support every now and then to buy prepaid credit.
The Headmaster, some teachers and students have been contributing sometimes to buy prepaid .
Source : Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
