Dodi-Papase STHS appeals for fence to ward off stray animals
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dodi-Papase Senior High Technical School (STHS), Mr Hanson Torde, has appealed to the government, public-spirited-individuals and development organisations to help create a fence around the school in order to prevent stray animals from roaming on the compound.
According to him, because of the lack of a fence around the school, stray animals, especially cattle, goats and sheep continue to create a nuisance to the school as they roam and ease on the school compound.
He said the ‘invasion’ of the school by stray animals, which started in mid-year 2024, was affecting effective teaching and learning.
The stray animals, he noted, often ‘invade’ the school and enter classrooms during teaching hours.
Thus, the teachers and students, who are gripped by fear, often run from the classrooms for fear of being attacked by the stray animals.
That, he stated, normally brought classes to an end as the teachers and students became scared and could not concentrate on the lessons.
Mr Torde again indicated that a formal letter had been written to the Kadjebi District Directorate of the Environmental Health on October 16, 2024 and copied to the Oti Regional Directorate of Education, the Kadjebi District Directorate of Education, the traditional authorities, among others but nothing had been done about it.
“The development, which started somewhere mid-year of 2024, has reached uncontrollable stage that threatens the lives of students and staff of the school, and authorities of the institution,” Mr Torde stated.
The Board Chairman said the stray animals had destroyed the demonstration farm created by the school to educate the students on agriculture and develop their interest in farming as a profession after they had left school.
“As for goats and sheep, they visit and intrude classrooms during contact hours anytime, which disrupts quality teaching and learning,” he said.
The development, he said, did not create a serene atmosphere for teaching and learning.
Additionally, Mr Torde said some of the teachers had threatened to leave the school due to the continuous ‘invasion’ of the school by stray animals.
He stressed that the life-threatening situation made some of the teachers consider deserting the post for their safety and urged the government to consider the situation as a security threat to students and staff of the institution, and as a matter of urgency take the necessary steps to address the problem.
Mr Torde then appealed to the community members to keep their animals in pens in order to prevent them from roaming on the school’s compound.
Some of the students who spoke to the Ghanaian Times, said since 2024, they never had their peace of mind to study and rest after classes because mostly, the wild animals would suddenly enter the classrooms while lessons were ongoing as well as dormitories when they were preparing towards the next day’s activities.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, DODI-PAPASE
