The Member of Parliament for the Lawra Constituency in the Upper West Region, Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng, has cut the sod for the construction of a 2,600-seater multipurpose dining hall at Brifor Senior High School in the Lawra District, aimed at improving infrastructure and supporting future student enrolment.
Addressing a gathering on Thursday, April 9, 2016, at the ceremony, the MP disclosed that aside from the dining hall project, other planned developments have been approved by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), underscoring the government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure in the area.
According to him, the facility will have a seating capacity of approximately 2,500 students, making it one of the largest dining halls to be constructed for any senior high school in the country.
The MP explained that although the current student population of the school is below 400, the large capacity of the facility is a deliberate decision aimed at accommodating future growth.
“This dining hall has a seating capacity of 2,500. This represents one of the largest dining halls to be constructed in this country for any senior high school. The headmaster just gave you the figures for the student population. Currently, there are fewer than 400. And yet, we have to construct this hall in anticipation of more students to be brought into the school as time goes on,” the MP said.
On project timelines, the MP indicated that the contract duration for the dining hall is 12 months. However, he welcomed the headmaster’s call for the contractor to expedite the work and complete it within six months, describing such an outcome as commendable if achieved.
Delivering his speech at the event, the Headmaster of the school, Iddrisu Harrisu, appealed for the school to be granted examination centre status, citing challenges students face in travelling long distances to sit for their final examinations.
He disclosed that candidates of the school currently write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at either Eremon Senior High School or Lawra Senior High School, a situation he described as inconvenient and demanding for students.
He revealed that Brifor SHS currently has a total student population of 185, made up of 85 students in Form One, 60 in Form Two, and 40 in Form Three. According to him, the relatively low enrolment remains a major concern for management.
Mr. Harrisu noted that the school has a staff strength of 54, comprising 34 teaching staff and 20 non-teaching staff, emphasising that the human resource base is adequate to support academic growth if enrolment improves.
He therefore called on stakeholders, including parents, old students, and the wider community, to support efforts aimed at increasing student intake to boost the school’s development.
