By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Sogakope
The South Tongu District Assembly (STDA) in the Volta Region has presented 500 dual desks to the District Directorate of Education for distribution to basic schools across the district. The furniture, procured from the 2025 10 percent furniture allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), is expected to benefit about 1,000 pupils in 16 schools across the district’s 12 circuits, particularly pupils at the upper primary level.
The allocation ranges from a minimum of 20 dual desks to a maximum of 60 desks per beneficiary school. The intervention comes at a time when inadequate and dilapidated classroom furniture remains a major challenge in some schools in the district, with some pupils reportedly having to share weak desks, sit on cement blocks or study on classroom floors.
Presenting the furniture to the District Director of Education, Mrs. Celestine Sewoenam Adzoa Korsi-Agordo, the South Tongu District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Victoria Dzeklo, said the desks were intended to improve the learning environment and boost the morale of both pupils and teachers.
She said the furniture was primarily intended for pupils in Primary Four, Five and Six, but could also be used by Primary Three pupils and Junior High School students, particularly in schools that were not examination centres.
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The DCE disclosed that the Assembly had also procured additional furniture, including mono desks and specialised hexagonal furniture for kindergarten pupils.
According to her, about 200 pieces of the KG furniture had been ordered, with further allocations expected under the 2026 DACF provision. “More will come. Let us all join hands to make education possible, for the standard of education is actually falling,” she said.
Hon. Dzeklo also announced that teacher desks would be provided under subsequent allocations, saying the Assembly expected another tranche of furniture allocation by the end of October.
The South Tongu District Director of Education, Mrs. Celestine Sewoenam Adzoa Korsi-Agordo, expressed appreciation to the government, the Regional Minister, the District Assembly and the MP for South Tongu for the intervention. She described the desks as comfortable and durable, saying they would help address part of the furniture challenge confronting schools in the district.
She urged beneficiary schools to take good care of the furniture to enable other schools to benefit from subsequent allocations. “If you are lucky to be part of the first group, take good care of it so that the other schools will also benefit,” she said.
Mrs. Korsi-Agordo said she remained concerned about the academic performance of pupils in the district, particularly at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level, and expressed hope that improving the learning environment would contribute to better outcomes.
The South Tongu Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Maxwell Kwame Lukutor, said the provision of furniture formed part of efforts to address some of the structural challenges affecting education in the district. He explained that the allocation of a percentage of the District Assemblies Common Fund specifically for infrastructure and furniture provision would ensure that resources were available to address such needs.
According to him, inadequate furniture, teacher shortages, insufficient infrastructure and unfavourable learning environments were among the challenges contributing to poor performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) levels.
Hon. Lukutor said the current intervention was only part of a broader effort to address the challenges, adding that the 2026 allocation was also expected. He disclosed that he had separately applied for additional desks for the constituency and was expecting them to arrive soon. “I am sure by the end of this year and next year, the issue about classroom furniture will be a thing of the past. Once I have my share of the allocations also, we’ll still come like this and donate to you so that we make sure that our classrooms will not lack furniture,” he said.
The MP said comfortable furniture would help pupils sit, write and learn effectively without developing health problems associated with prolonged use of unsuitable furniture.
Meanwhile, the Headteacher of Dabala Senior High Technical School (DASTEC) Basic School, Mr. Geoffrey Yaw Adrah, welcomed the intervention, saying his school was in dire need of furniture. He said the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) had been able to provide only 10 dual desks for the school during the previous term, making the additional allocation particularly significant.
Mr. Adrah expressed gratitude to the government, Regional Minister, District Assembly, MP and the District Education Directorate, and pledged that the school would ensure the furniture was properly maintained. He also appealed for additional furniture to enable the school to adequately meet the needs of its pupils.
The presentation was witnessed by the Planning Officer of the District Education Directorate, Mr. Elorm Golo, and headteachers from some basic schools in the district.
