Students and staff of Lassia Tuolo SHS attribute their loss in the National Science and Maths Quiz qualifiers to ongoing conflicts between local communities, which have resulted in at least three deaths.
They claim that the unrest, along with infrastructure issues, is severely affecting their academic activities.
Despite their strong efforts, Lassia Tuolo SHS finished second to Wa SHS in the Upper West regional qualifiers. They are urging the warring factions to ceasefire and calling on the government to increase security in the area.
After their intense contest with Wa SHS and three other schools, students expressed their fear of traveling to the regional capital for the quiz.
“We prayed for safe travel. We’ve been confined to our hostels without access to our learning materials since the conflict began. Seeing guns when you have a quiz coming up is terrifying and disruptive,” said one student.
Teachers are forced to keep students in their dormitories to prevent further casualties. “Locals seeking refuge at the school add to the fear among students,” a teacher noted.
The school also struggles with poor IT and science lab facilities, and their dining hall was destroyed by fire in March. “We can’t even eat properly because our dining hall is burnt,” added another student.
Lassia Tuolo SHS ended the contest with 34 points, just behind Wa SHS’s 39 points
Listen to the audio
They competed against Kanton SHS, Jamiat Islamic Girls SHS, and Northern Star SHS. Despite the challenges, the school remains hopeful for a better performance in the future.
Meanwhile, Wa SHS, Nandom SHS, and St. Francis of Assisi Girls SHS have qualified for the national stage of the competition
K Fosu The Informant is a lifestyle blogger with 5 years experience in content and web development. He is a Google keyword planner, SEO analyst, an influencer and entrepreneur who holds BA Degree from Ghana's Premier University.
