First-year students at Labone Senior High School (SHS) in Accra are raising concerns after being forced to sit on the bare floors during lessons because of a major shortage of desks and chairs.
The situation, which has persisted since schools reopened, is affecting teaching and learning as both students and teachers struggle to maintain order in overcrowded classrooms.
According to reports in The Mirror, the problem stems from an unexpected increase in enrollment this academic year.
The number of newly admitted students far exceeds the school’s available furniture, leaving many classrooms without enough desks to accommodate learners.
Some students said the issue makes it difficult to concentrate during lessons. Teachers also noted that the lack of furniture makes lesson delivery stressful, slows down class activities, and affects students’ ability to write properly.
School authorities have acknowledged the challenge and said they are working with the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to find immediate solutions.
It has raised concerns among parents, who were asked to contribute GH¢300 for infrastructure in addition to the GH¢100 PTA dues, but they have seen no improvement.
Parents and education advocates are calling on the Ministry of Education to intervene urgently, arguing that the learning environment plays a crucial role in academic performance.
They warned that if the issue is not resolved quickly, it could undermine the quality of education for the affected students.
A teacher of Integrated Science, Obed Nyarko, said the problem, which had persisted for years, usually began at the start of the academic year when the school admitted a large number of students under the government’s double-track system, adding that the shortage affected teaching and learning because students, sometimes over 60 in a class, became easily distracted when seated on the floor or benches.
Some students confirmed that they sometimes had to sit on the floor during lessons.
“It is mainly us Form One fresh students. Once our seniors leave, we get desks to sit on,” Nana Akua, a new SHS student, said.
She added that the dining hall benches were particularly uncomfortable for classes.
“My back and legs hurt after sitting on the bench for long hours because I have to bend over to write in my book. When I get tired, I kneel on the floor or squat, then put the book on the bench or floor to write,” she explained.
A General Arts Five Student, Philip Kojo, said the situation had improved slightly since they now used the dining hall benches.
He said “In the early days when we first came, two weeks ago, most of us were even sitting on the floor. If you didn’t fight to get a chair, you had to sit on the floor.”
For now, many freshers at Labone SHS continue to sit on classroom floors, hoping that relief will come soon as authorities work to address the furniture deficit.
