By Samuel Ayammah
Many second-cycle schools in Ghana struggle with inadequate furniture, dormitories, and bunk beds, which hinder effective teaching and learning. At Akumfi Ameyaw Senior High Technical School, these challenges are especially severe. Students are forced to share desks, sit on benches, or even study and write on the floor due to a dire shortage of furniture. Some dormitories also lack beds entirely.
Established in 1988, Akumfi Ameyaw Senior High Technical School currently has a student population of 3,436, far exceeding the capacity of its limited infrastructure. When GBC News visited the school, students writing their end-of-term examinations were seen sharing desks, writing on laboratory benches, or lying on their bellies to take exams.
Over 1,000 broken chairs are stacked in a dilapidated structure awaiting repairs. These could help ease the strain if refurbished. Meanwhile, the school has been plunged further into controversy following the interdiction of its Headmaster, Mr. Solomon Douglas Nyaman, over allegations of unauthorized fee collection and financial misconduct.
The allegations include the collection of unapproved SRC dues, extra class fees, misuse of internally generated funds (IGF), and coercing students to buy liquid soap produced by his wife during admissions. He is also accused of collecting GH¢250 as extra classes fees from SHS 3 students, of which he reportedly took the lion’s share—charging GH¢50 from Green Track students, demanding clearance form fees, and taking proceeds from SRC Week and Carols Night celebrations. Additionally, he allegedly collected GH¢2,000 each from four seamstresses after they sewed check and white dresses for new female students.
These concerns led the youth of Aworowa and Akrofrom, the school’s host communities, to petition the then Bono East Regional Minister, Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan, on 22nd October 2022.
In response, a three-member committee was established to investigate the matter. It was chaired by Mr. Isaac K. Amankwah, with Ms. Evelyn Addor as a member and Mr. Ezekiel Osei Bonsu as secretary. The committee’s findings revealed a significant breakdown in trust and confidence in the headmaster’s leadership among staff, management, and other stakeholders.
Among the committee’s key recommendations were that:
- The headmaster should be cautioned to improve his leadership style to foster teamwork and discipline.
- He should desist from charging unauthorized fees.
- Proper internal controls should be enforced to ensure accountability of IGF.
- He must account for funds confirmed to have been received by him.
On 23rd April 2025, the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof. Ernest Davis, formally instructed Mr. Nyaman to step aside. He was asked to hand over administrative duties to the Bono East Regional Director of GES pending a final decision on his interdiction.
Meanwhile, students and staff continue to battle deplorable living and learning conditions. The Boys’ Prefect, Jesse Boateng-Baafi, told GBC News that the severe lack of furniture and bunk beds is negatively impacting academic performance. He appealed to the government and philanthropists for urgent support.
Another student, Raymond Obuor, expressed frustration at the deteriorating conditions. Some classrooms have been turned into makeshift dormitories with no beds, forcing students to sleep on bare mattresses on the floor. The absence of bunk beds prevents the use of mosquito nets, leading to increased malaria cases.
Teachers have also voiced concern and called on the government and benevolent individuals to intervene and help restore dignity and functionality to the school.
