A three-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities constructed for Kamalo District Assembly Junior High School in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District of the Eastern Region has been completed but remains unused, years after its completion.
The facility, funded through the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), has been abandoned and taken over by bats, raising concerns about the effective utilisation of public resources.
The situation was observed by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) during its inspection tour of ABFA funded projects in the Eastern Region.
PIAC, which is mandated under the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) to monitor and evaluate the management and use of petroleum revenues in Ghana and promote transparency and accountability, expressed concern over the state of the facility.
It remains unclear why the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Kwahu Afram Plains North District Assembly have not been able to address the bat infestation and make the classrooms available for teaching and learning, while infrastructure deficit remains.
The abandonment of the facility, despite the investment made with public funds, highlights concern over poor project maintenance, coordination challenges, and the need for stronger post completion monitoring of public projects.
In such cases pupils are denied access to education or endure walking long journeys which usually deter many from continues education
PIAC further observed a critical shortage of teachers at the school, with only two teachers currently responsible for pupils from the primary to junior high school levels, resulting in combined classes and placing additional pressure on the available teachers.
The Committee noted that while infrastructure development is important, ensuring that completed projects are properly utilised and supported with the necessary human resources remains critical to achieving value for money from petroleum funded projects.
The situation also undermines Ghana’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Specifically, Target 4.a calls for the provision of safe, inclusive and effective learning environments for all learners. An unused classroom block, despite being fully completed, runs contrary to this objective and limits access to quality education in underserved communities.
