In a state of education crisis, Binduri Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper East Region was forced to shut its doors after students took to the streets to protest against the unavailability of hot meals amidst a severe food shortage that has been ongoing since May.
On Tuesday, the students, filled with frustration, abandoned their classrooms and embarked on a march throughout the school grounds, brandishing sticks and causing damage to school property. The underlying issue behind their demonstration was the alleged failure of school authorities to provide them with hot meals for several weeks.
A concerned student voiced her distress, revealing that despite numerous complaints, the authorities had taken no action. She highlighted the alarming nature of the situation, stating,
“Since May 29, 2023, we have not been provided with hot meals. Moreover, we have not received our house dresses since our enrollment, making us appear starkly different from students in other schools.”
Efforts were made to defuse the escalating tensions through the timely intervention of the District Ghana Education Service (GES) Director, John Soka Jaggrey, and other officials.
They appealed for calm among the students and directed them to return to their classrooms while a meeting was arranged with relevant authorities to address and resolve the issue.
However, the students collectively refused to comply with the directive, which prompted the GES Director to make a difficult decision – the closure of the school.
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In an announcement, he expressed that if the students were unable to abide by the given instructions, it would be best for them to stay at home until the problems were resolved, signaling the resumption of hot meals by the caterer.
The announcement struck a chord with the students, who erupted in unified excitement, shouting ‘yes’ in unison. While the closure of their school was undoubtedly a significant disruption, the students saw it as a necessary sacrifice to ensure their demands were met.