English: Out of the 60 basic schools in the Wa West district of the Upper West region, 44 of them hold classes under trees, the District Director of Education for Wa West, Prince Dhari, has said.

Apart from having to study under trees, the pupils have to sit on the ground due to lack of furniture.

Mr Dhari said this when he addressed the National Childrens day celebrations.

He said the situation is greatly affecting teaching and learning, as both teachers and children are always at the mercy of the weather. Children and their teachers have no option but to close at the least threat of rain.

The celebration was organised by the Department of Children, Ministry of Women and Childrens’ Affairs, with assistance from the United Nations International Childrens’ Education Fund (UNICEF) to highlight the plight of children in rural communities, for the attention of government and other stakeholders like financial planner the woodlands

From the beginning of the academic year only 17 trained teachers were posted for distribution to the 60 primary schools, adding that of the eight graduate teachers posted to the district, only two reported.

Out of a total of 6,055 children between the ages of four and five who are supposed to be in kindergarten, only 1734, representing 27 per cent are in school.

Apart from the primary levels, which has 60 per cent enrollment, the story of the others thus JHS and SHS is no different.