Pupils of Naamoansa Primary and Junior High School in the Builsa North district of the Upper East Region are pleading with the government to construct a new school block for them and also provide them with furniture and other amenities to make learning easier.

The old school building block which they currently use for classes, has no roofing, doors and windows.

They were ripped off six years ago by heavy winds, the chief of the area, Thomas Agalga, told Class News’ Upper East correspondent, Derrick Abakisi.

Pupils in the primary level were spotted sitting on the bare floor while others lay on their stomachs to read and write.

Abakisi reported that the JHS pupils were also spotted sitting on benches under trees to sit for their end-of-term exams.

Mr Agalga said the community has come together to contribute their widow’s mite toward constructing one classroom block for the school.

He is, however, calling on the authorities and philanthropists to come to their aid.

Amos, a JHS pupil, said apart from the lack of furniture, they also do not have textbooks and potable water.

The government, this year, according to Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, committed GHS1.7 billion to the free Senior High School (SHS) programme initiated by President Nana Akufo-Addo in 2017.

In 2016, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who was then the running mate to Mr Akufo-Addo on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party, intervened when similar news was reported at the Kperisi Primary School in the Upper West Region.

Dr Bawumia donated 250 dual desks for 500 pupils to the school.

Last year, SEND Ghana, a policy research and advocacy organisation, raised concerns over the government’s focus on the Free Senior High School initiative in its allocation of goods and services, to the detriment of other levels of education.

The government, in the 2019 budget statement, increased its allocation of goods and services to the education sector by 25 per cent.

However, 88.8 per cent was expected go to the Free SHS initiative, leaving only 11.2 per cent for other levels of education.

Mrs Harriet Nuamah Agyeman, Senior Project Officer at SEND Ghana, at a forum in Accra on the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, said although SEND Ghana was not against the government supporting Free SHS, such support should not be at the neglect of other levels of education and called on the government to find resources to give each level a fair allocation.