Prestigious Wesley Girls Students Sleep On Bare Floor
…School Prefect Reveals, As Authorities Call For Help
The prestigious Cape Coast based Wesley Girls’ High School with students’ population of over 3,000, is said to be grappling with persistent infrastructure challenges, forcing school authorities and the students body to make clarion call for urgent intervention.
The disturbing situation The Anchor gathered, has compelled hundreds of girls to be sleeping on bare floor at night due to congestion, even though a new dormitory block has been constructed.
Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Jeannette Ruby Siameh in a speech said, “Wesley Girls High School Cape Coast looks beautiful and appears to be well endowed in terms of facilities meanwhile, all that glitters they say is not gold. Under the cloak of outwardly beautify lies a great bed of dying needs”.
But speaking at the 187th Speech and Prize-Giving Day celebration on Saturday, February 10, 2024, the school prefect, Ms. Abena Benyiwaa Debrah, who highlight the problems said, “overcrowding seems to be a problem trying to develop a tough skin in every corner of our dear schools. Even with the introduction of the new house, hundreds of students are seen sleeping on the floor”.
According to Abena Debrah, “this problem also pushes us to eat our meal in batches and even with that the dining hall overflows during meal time, causing unbelievable congestion,” adding, “we cannot, but hold our broken hearts”.
She said, “We saw the effort made to provide extension to the dining hall and we truly do appreciate them, but after a year of steady progress, progress in the building of our extension suddenly came to a halt. It is our earnest plea that the building of the extension of the dining hall would be finished as soon as possible to relief congestion at least during meal times”.
Must We Suffer?
She emphasized that, in spite of the achievements chalked, their path to success is not as smooth and straight as they would like them to be.
“Inspite of our every win and success, our path to success is not as smooth and straight as we would like them to be. From the tiny inconveniences to the deep and large potholes, which hinder our progress, we have learned to endure. But I ask myself must we suffer when we can seek help?” she queried, adding “in light of this, I would like to bring to your attention some of the problems we face as a school”.
“First, the problem of inadequacy of furniture as a challenge the school grapples with seems to be a challenge that is beginning to persist. The moment in which we gaze our sisters who use plastic chairs in their classrooms and lack the tables to even comfortably write on. We cannot, but hold our broken hearts,” she stated.
Empty ICT Lab
She noted that, in spite of the large population, the school’s ICT laboratory currently has only two working computers, serving the over 3, 000 students
“Again, inadequacy of computers is far below the standard that our dear school has set for herself, the library having only one working computer and the ICT laboratory, having only two working computers, to serve a student population of over 3, 000, it is not farfetched to say that we are struggling,” she bemoans.
Asphalt Road
Meanwhile, the headmistress is appealing for the new Assembly Hall to be completed, as well as a befitting asphalt road.
“We simply need proper facelift for our road work instead of patch works. Wesley Girls High School deserves a befitting asphalted road network,” she pleaded.
Mrs. Jeannette Ruby Siameh, wants both current and prospective parents to disabuse their minds of the notion that once their wards enter this prestigious school, great success, especially for WASSCE, automatically awaits them.
A section of the students at the event
Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum delivering a speech at the event
She entreated all stakeholders to consider the individual abilities and interests of the girls.
“The days of parents living their dream lives in their wards at school are over. Please allow them to have a say in the choice of their programmes and subjects, so that in the end they will come out tops and you’ll be proud of them,” she pointed out.
The 187th Speech and Prize-Giving Day event was graced by President Akufo-Addo, as well as Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and a host of old girls of the school.
Source: Anchorghana.com
