Scores of irate students of Ashaiman Technical Vocational Institute (Ash Tech) who have had enough of everyday challenges impeding their studies earlier Monday stormed the premises of the Municipal Assembly to demand answers.
The students in their uniforms and red band would have nothing stop them after walking quite a distance in protest of an E-Block project which has stalled after change of government.
In an interview with Adom News, Cephas Yakanu of Installation 3A class said the abandoned E-Block project is chief amongst their concerns.
“It must be completed to help accommodate hundreds of students taking these technical and vocational courses. Absence of workshop means we can’t have practicals.
“Due to the situation, some students have to make do with tents mounted outside. The school literally runs shift which shouldn’t be the case. For instance, Building and Construction lessons take place under the tent not to talk of Installation class and others,” he lamented.
Prior to their current location, government did not have any technical school at Ashaiman.
Students after their basic education had to receive training at Don Bosco Technical Institute through a special arrangement between government and the institute.
However, in 2018, the special arrangement between the two ended with government taking steps to run a technical school.
The Ash Tech at the time was handed some structures of the cluster of schools at Lebanon Tsui-Bleo to accommodate students who were to be relocated to the E-Block at Community 22 but this is yet to happen.
The students said they feel uncomfortable being in the same environment with junior high school and Montessori due to excessive noise.
According to the students, their leadership has written a number of letters to the Municipal Chief Executive, Albert Okyere and others and even done follow-ups but have yielded no fruit.
For Martha Teye of Business 3, apart from Building and Construction, Auto, Installation, Fashion and Catering students learning under the shade, others are packed in one class making it very unbearable.
“For our end, the workshop is completed but students are not able to use it because the E-Block is uncompleted. I have been in the same classroom for the last two years,” she said.
Business 3 student, Abdel Salam Zachariah, found it quite bizarre that all three courses; Business ICT, Business Secretariat and Business Accounting taking place in the same classroom.
“Some students are made to forfeit the classroom for others to learn during the elective subject. We need government to act now before it’s too late,” he pleaded.
Gauging the atmosphere, Education Director, his executives, executive members of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly decided to meet leadership of the students.
After more than an hour meeting, the parties decided to have the petition presented in the presence of all the angry students who had stormed the place.
Girls’ Prefect of Ash Tech, Sani Mariam presented their petition to Education Director, Clifford Heneku Budu who then handed it over to Municipal Planner, Collins Ohene-Gyan to receive in the stead of Municipal Chief Executive, Albert Okyere who was engaged in Accra.
Ashaiman Municipal Education Director, Clifford Heneku Budu, praised the students for comporting themselves and assured them that the directorate will work around the clock to ensure that their demands are met.
“We have seen the need to regularly visit your school. Per assurances from our superiors, the E-block and other issues would be attended to within a month. The school is also taking steps to end the shift system,” his words drew loud cheers and applauds from the students who had been in the sun for hours.