This is an investigative piece on the state of Tamale senior high school (Tamasco) dormitories ahead of the school’s 7th anniversary.
The story reveals the disastrous state of the sleeping places of the students of Tamasco that has regularly caused various sicknesses for the students.
Tamale senior high school, established in the year 1951, is the oldest senior high school in the northern part of the country therefore has produced great men and women for Ghana and the world at large. Notably among them include the former head of state, Dr. Hilla Liman, former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, former governor of Bank of Ghana Dr. Nashiru, owner of Engineers and Planners Ibrahim Mahama and so on.
Unfortunately, despite these ‘big names’ Tamasco has produced, infrastructure in terms of dormitories for boys in the school is awful.
Not just the inadequacy of the boys’ dormitories but the few available dormitories are ancient and completely destroyed.
For instance, the Hayfron house boys’ dormitory which accommodates over 150 students in 12 rooms now accommodates these over 150 students in just 6 rooms. The reason for this is because the storey building has developed some very dangerous cracks and the school authorities have told the students to halt the use of the upstairs of the building in order to avoid any disaster in the future.
Due to this situation, some students are compelled to sleep in the classrooms after their evening studies or sleep inside a nearby Mosque, and sometimes at the veranda.
Some students who spoke to Prince Kwame Tamakloe, lamented over the situation, saying “we sleep outside here (pointing to the forecourt of the house) because the rooms are congested and there are no ceiling fans in all the rooms, we don’t want to get CSM but when it is raining, the juniors will have to stand or sit beside the beds till the rain stops.” Anonymous student explained.
He added that, because all the burglarproofs, the wiring mesh (mosquito net) and the louvre blades are destroyed, all the rooms are exposed to dust, mosquitoes and other harmful insects. “Because of this, every week more than two students from this house (Hayfron house) will be admitted at the hospital for malaria or diseases caused by air pollution.
The situation is worse at the Pattinson house and the Tamakloe house where not only the window components are destroyed but the ceilings and some of the roofs are removed.
Another student who also spoke to the reporter on condition of anonymity said, because his dormitory is closer to the bush, snakes, and scorpions enter the dormitories because the window components are destroyed, which makes their sleeping place prone to these dangerous animals.
He appealed to the government and the old student to come and salvage the situation before the worse happen to any student in the school.
Meanwhile the headmaster of the school, Rev Edward Azeka admitted the school authorities are aware of the situation but they are helpless to solve the problem however they have appealed to some old students including the vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to come and help them and until then, they pray to God to protect the students from danger.
By: Prince Kwame Tamakloe/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
