The Minority in Parliament is calling on the Volta River Authority (VRA) to take up the responsibility of building pavilions as temporary structures for students affected by the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo Dam.
According to statistics from the North Tongu Education Directorate, over 14,000 students have had their academic activities interrupted due to the situation, as various classrooms are being used as safe havens for affected residents.
Speaking to Citi News, the Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, said that the VRA must commit some funds to deal with the concern.
“The classrooms have become safe havens for the victims, and they are occupying all the classrooms. Some of the classrooms are still under water, and so the VRA must commit some money to put up pavilions so that the schools can reopen for normal academic work to resume,” he said.
The Minority also backed a decision by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to issue administrative sanctions to heads of schools who allowed JHS one and two students to partake in the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
“The policy is that you write your examination in JHS3, and that has been the policy. So any school authority that violates that policy opens himself or herself up to any punitive measures. The Minority will not be against the GES making this policy work, otherwise, students in other schools will be disadvantaged, and the system will not be in order,” Nortsu-Kotoe said.