That is Samuel Donkor, a “single trainer” in control of class 12 at Kakpeni District Council Faculty within the Northern Area.
Earlier than the primary bell rings every morning, Samuel Donkor is already at Kakpeni D/A Major and Secondary Faculty making ready for a activity that many would contemplate inconceivable.
He organizes his class notes, checks his chalk provide, and prepares for tomorrow. I educate 12 completely different courses fully on my own, from kindergarten to center faculty.
Mr Samuel Donkor has been the one government-trained trainer on the 448-pupil primary-only faculty within the Kupandai district of the Northern Area for greater than three years.
Inside that interval, he assumed the roles of each classroom trainer and principal, taking full accountability for the schooling of your entire faculty.
When Graphic On-line’s Simon Unyan visited him not too long ago, Samuel Donkor defined that he primarily handles the workload himself, with solely occasional assist from two neighborhood volunteers whose availability is erratic because of lack of motivation and different private commitments.
However the prices of this association have gotten more and more troublesome.
Faculty past limits
Daily, Samuel Donkor strikes from one classroom to a different, instructing key topics resembling English, Arithmetic, Science and Ghanaian in any respect ranges.
To deal with this, a number of courses have been mixed. Kindergarten, Fundamental 1, Fundamental 2, and Fundamental 3 share one classroom. Fundamental 4 and Fundamental 5 are additionally built-in, however Fundamental 6 is studied independently regardless of the variations within the syllabus.
In consequence, studying environments and outcomes endure, residents say, and lots of college students battle to catch up.
“I am doing every part I can, however I do know it isn’t sufficient. These children deserve extra,” Samuel Donkow instructed Graphic On-line.
He defined that whereas he teaches one group, different teams are sometimes left alone or interact in enjoyable video games.
“By the point I get to the final class, the primary class has forgotten what I taught them,” he stated.
At any time when he leaves the neighborhood for official duties, his schooling comes to a whole halt.
Junior highschool with out school rooms
Along with trainer shortages, faculties face critical infrastructure challenges.
Some secondary faculty college students research beneath timber because of an absence of classroom house, exposing them to harsh climate and frequent interruptions. Furnishings and instructing supplies are additionally briefly provide.
For Samuel Donkow, the challenges transcend the classroom.
Reaching Kupandai for official enterprise requires crossing rivers by canoe, usually with out life jackets, and poses important dangers, particularly throughout the wet season. He recalled an accident through which a canoe carrying passengers capsized, however happily no lives have been misplaced.
“As we communicate, most of my time is spent at college and locally, and I pay little consideration to my household and private life,” he stated.
Regardless of the challenges, his dedication has earned him the nickname “One-Man Contractor” amongst residents and colleagues.
Some college students in Fundamental 2 and three stated they’re lacking out on essential classes resembling studying and math because of an absence of lecturers.
One scholar stated, “There are extra days with out courses than days with courses,” highlighting the state of affairs on the junior highschool degree, the place remaining yr college students are making ready for the BECE in 2026.
Dad and mom and residents have comparable issues.
“Our youngsters are simply as essential. They deserve the identical high quality schooling as different kids locally,” stated resident Abel Makiwi.
They warn that extended inactivity amongst college students is contributing to a rise in teenage pregnancies and early marriages locally.
Residents are due to this fact interesting to the federal government, the Ministry of Schooling and the Ghana Schooling Service (GES) to urgently improve the variety of lecturers in faculties. Additionally they expressed their readiness to welcome new workers.
It additionally requires the varsity to be included within the faculty lunch program to enhance enrollment and retention.
“Should not we Ghanaians additionally play a component in nationwide improvement?” requested Elisha Mayambi.
hope on the horizon
Regardless of the challenges, Samuel Donkor stays optimistic.
He believes ongoing trainer recruitment efforts may ease the burden, particularly if it prioritizes underserved and rural areas. He additionally praised efforts to distribute trainer staffing, noting that district boards are in place to determine crucial staffing gaps.
The Kpandai District Schooling Division has confirmed the state of affairs and confirmed that two extra lecturers have been posted to the varsity and can report quickly.
Officers say widespread hiring efforts may considerably scale back trainer staffing disparities throughout the district.
However schooling watchdogs warn that except such interventions proceed, faculties like Kakpeni will proceed to battle and deepen inequalities in entry to high quality schooling.
