Credit Kekeli K. Blamey
The Avakpedome District Assembly (DA) Primary School, a key institution championing inclusive education in the South Tongu District, is urgently appealing for government intervention to address its severely dilapidated infrastructure.
The school, which integrates visually impaired students into mainstream education, is currently grappling with deteriorating classroom blocks, broken furniture, unsafe washrooms, and a lack of disability-accessible facilities. These challenges, according to the school’s leadership, threaten the safety of learners and undermine the delivery of quality education.
In an interview with ANC Empire Multimedia’s Kekeli Blamey, Headmistress Madam Florence Tedoku Xorname highlighted the pressing need for renovation, describing the school’s physical environment as “unfit for effective teaching and learning.”
“Whenever it rains, entire sections of our roofing are either leaking or ripped off completely. Books, administrative documents, and teaching materials are regularly soaked,” Madam Xorname stated. “More critically, our visually impaired students are at risk, often falling into open gutters due to the absence of disability-friendly infrastructure.”
Despite the challenges, the school has continued to record strong academic performances, particularly in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Madam Xorname credited this to the commitment of teachers and non-teaching staff but warned that continued neglect could jeopardize these achievements.
Mr. Bliss Besah Macarthy, Chairman of the School Management Committee, reiterated the call for immediate intervention. He noted that while the committee has made modest efforts to support the school, the scale of the infrastructure deficit requires substantial government investment.
“Avakpedome DA Primary has the potential to be a national model for inclusive education, but we cannot realize that vision without adequate infrastructure,” he said.
The Assembly Member for the Avakpedome Electoral Area, Madam Esenam Kakah, also pledged to work closely with the District Chief Executive, Mr. Dodzi Addison Mornyuie, and the area’s Member of Parliament to mobilize resources for the school. She emphasized that every child, regardless of physical ability, deserves access to a safe and supportive learning environment.
“The resilience shown by this school community is commendable, but resilience alone is not enough,” Madam Kakah said. “The state must step in to ensure that infrastructure supports—not hinders—the pursuit of inclusive, quality education.”
She further called for the reconstruction of the students’ dormitory, which was destroyed in a recent fire caused by electrical faults.
She urged the Ministry of Education, corporate entities, and philanthropic organizations to prioritize the needs of Avakpedome DA Primary School to safeguard the educational future of the pupils, especially those with visual impairments.
