Deputy Minister nominee for Education, Clement Apaak, has strongly criticized the continued existence of schools operating under trees, describing it as a national disgrace that hinders Ghana’s development.
His remarks come after Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu revealed that nearly 5,000 schools across the country still lack proper infrastructure.
During his vetting on Tuesday, February 25, Apaak expressed his concerns, stating, “The spectacle of schools under trees does not befit the status and age of our nation.”
He attributed the issue to Ghana’s inability to meet the growing demand for educational infrastructure, noting that while the population continues to expand, the provision of school facilities has failed to keep pace.
Apaak explained that many communities, struggling with increasing numbers of school-age children and inadequate formal structures, have been forced to resort to makeshift schools under trees.
Describing the situation as a national crisis, the Builsa South MP called for a collective effort to address the problem despite economic constraints.
“We must come together, even in these challenging times, to find the necessary resources to eliminate schools under trees. Education is a right, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure every child has access to proper learning facilities,” he asserted.
