Due to an ongoing food shortage, the Binduri Community Day Senior High School in the Upper East Region has been forced to close its doors following student protests.
On July 11, 2023, several disgruntled students decided to boycott classes in order to express their dissatisfaction with the school administration’s failure to provide them with their daily hot meal for an extended period of time.
According to sources within the school, the catering service responsible for preparing meals has been unable to cook for the students since May 29, 2023. The caterer claims that the government owes her outstanding payments, making it practically impossible for her to continue serving the students.
Consequently, a significant number of students have chosen to skip classes, as they feel that studying on an empty stomach is not feasible. Out of the approximately 600 students enrolled, it is reported that around 200 have been absent since the lunch service stopped.
During the protest, students voiced their grievances, emphasizing the hardships they have endured without their daily meals for over a month. Some even mentioned being compelled to eat the same dish, such as banku and okro stew, throughout an entire week before the caterer ceased cooking altogether.
Attempting to address the situation, the Binduri District Director of Education, John Doka Jaggery, visited the school and urged the students to remain calm, assuring them that their concerns would be addressed. He instructed them to stay home until the issues raised were resolved.
“If you are not ready to return to the classroom and continue your academic work, then remain at home until further notice,” he stated. Jaggery further assured the students that the education directorate would meet with the school’s management and the caterer to resolve the problem, with the aim of reopening the school by Monday, July 17, 2023.
Meanwhile, the final-year students are currently in school, taking their mock examinations in preparation for this year’s West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
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