At Asunkwaa M/A Primary School in Nkoranza South, classrooms once squeezed in as many as 90 pupils, pushing teachers to their limits. The strain on both students and staff was clear. That changed this week with the unveiling of a new six-classroom block.
The facility, funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), was commissioned in a ceremony attended by local dignitaries, traditional leaders, and community members. The event marked an end to years of overcrowding that hampered teaching and learning.
Headmaster Atta Augustine spoke openly about the past challenges. “The situation was very challenging for us. Imagine having ninety pupils in one classroom. It was difficult for teachers to give individual attention to students. Marking exercises alone was a herculean task. We needed help, and we needed it urgently.” He said the new classrooms will ease congestion and create an environment more conducive to education.
Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, the Nkoranza South MP and Minister for Labour, attended the commissioning and framed the project as part of the government’s effort to close the gap between rural and urban education. “This project is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about investing in our future. We want the children of Asunkwaa to have the same opportunities as those in the cities,” he said. Agyekum expressed hope the new classrooms would help raise future professionals from the community, mentioning professors, lawyers, and doctors.
Bono East Regional Minister Francis Owusu Antwi joined the event and praised the government’s work but stressed community responsibility. “This facility belongs to you. Take care of it. Let us work together to maintain it so that it can serve generations to come. The results we all desire will only come if we protect what has been given to us,” he told those gathered.
Traditional authorities also voiced their appreciation. Nana Osei Kofi, the Dikro of Asunkwaa, spoke for the traditional council. “We are grateful to the MP and the government for listening to our cry. Our children have suffered for too long. Today, we can smile. We say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
For the pupils, the new classrooms mean an end to stifling overcrowding and sweltering heat. The school’s condition had been a barrier to effective learning, with teachers struggling to manage large classes and students lacking individual attention.
The six-unit block is a tangible sign of progress in Nkoranza South, funded by a national education body but delivered through local political will. It reflects a broader effort to improve rural education infrastructure in Ghana, though the long-term impact will depend on sustained maintenance and community engagement.
As the sun set over Asunkwaa on the commissioning day, the new block stood ready to absorb a generation of pupils into better learning conditions. The ambition for the school now rests on whether the facility can be preserved and the teaching environment improved beyond the classroom walls.
According to Joy Online.
